Titled "Soccer Near Santo Ildefonso," this photogravure sets the ordinary business of childhood against one of Porto's grandest baroque facades. The twin bell towers of Igreja de Santo Ildefonso rise in tiled, sculpted splendor — centuries of craftsmanship, faith, and civic pride carved into stone — while in the foreground a handful of kids chase a ball across the grass, utterly unconcerned with the monument looming behind them. One boy stands sentry near the steps, another dribbles past, two more run in pursuit, their loose, blurred motion a sharp contrast to the church's rigid, symmetrical grandeur. That contrast is the whole heart of the image. The church has stood watch over this square for hundreds of years, indifferent to empires and centuries, and yet here it is simply the backdrop for an afternoon pickup game — proof that even the most sacred and permanent places eventually just become part of a neighborhood's daily rhythm. The photogravure's soft grain and warm, aged tone blur the line between past and present even further, so that the game and the ancient stone facade feel like they belong to the same continuous moment, one quietly folded into the other. It's a small, human scene doing what old cities do best: carrying on with life in the shadow of their own history. For this hand-pulled photogravure etching, we press ink into fine art paper from a plate we create from the original image. Print is made with Gamblin Bone Black ink on Hahnemühle Copperplate paper. These limited edition prints are signed and numbered on the lower front. Image and paper sizes are approximate. Variations within the edition are possible and expected. Image 12 cm x 14.5 cm on 20 × 28 cm paper.
