Axel Herman Haig Swedish (1835 - 1921) Durham Cathedral etching Biography from the Archives of askART: Axel Herman Haig (1835-1921), born in Sweden, was fascinated with the sea and ships and spent much of his youth sketching seascapes and building model boats. His love of the sea lead him to study shipbuilding but he grew tired of ship design and shifted to architecture. Haig was given the opportunity to design the residence of his employer in Glasgow, who was so pleased with the result that he got Haig a job at a firm that specialized in church design. Later Haig was employed by William Burges, a noted Gothic Revival architect, and he became one of the most noted architectural draughtsmen in Britain. In 1875 Haig traveled to Sicily, Italy, and Germany to sketch the local scenery. Many of his etchings came from these early drawings. Haig did not begin etching until 1870 and was essentially self-taught. His first exhibition of etchings, in 1880, was very well received. It was in this same year that Haig, along with Francis Seymour Haden and others, founded the Royal Academy of Painters-Etchers and Engravers. Haig always distinguished between architectural drawings and drawings of architecture, and in all of his etchings, his objective was to incorporate a balance between a romantic and dramatic effect, but also to depict the subject as accurately as possible. In total, Axel Haig created over four hundred etchings, the majority depicting castles, towers and cathedrals in both England and on the Continent. The Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum, London, own large collections of his etched art. Source: Information provided by Annette Nolan 21"H x 14 1/2"W, 27"H x 20 1/2"W (frame)