Axel Haig (1835-1921) is a well listed artist who was born in Sweden. From a very early age, he became fascinated with ships and seascapes and he showed a talent for sketching both. He had a fine reputation as a marine artist but he tired of the subject and shifted his attention to architecture design. His talent for depicting details emerged again and he was given the opportunity to design the residence of his employer in Glasgow. He impressed his employer so much that he arranged to get Haig a job with a prestigious firm that specialized in church design. Haig later gained the attention of William Burges, a noted Gothic Revival architect. This resulted in Haig becoming one of the most noted architectural draughtsmen in Britain. In 1875, with his reputation well established, he began traveling to Sicily, Italy and Germany to sketch local scenery. Haig did not begin making etchings until 1870 when he realized he was getting high prices for his desirable architectural drawings. As an etcher, remarkably, he was self-taught. His first exhibition of etchings was in 1880 and it proved very lucrative for the artist. This was the same year that Haig, along with fellow etcher Francis Seymour Haden, founded the Royal Academy of Painters, Etchers and Engravers. Haig always held the objective to incorporate a balance between romantic, religious and dramatic effects but also to depict the subject as accurately as possible. Works by the artist were very much in demand at the beginning of the 20th century with many American tourists and European aristocracy purchasing his prints for large sums of money (often $1,000 a piece). In America, John Taylor Arms and Kerr Eby were beginning to show mastery of details in their etchings of medieval towns, churches, cathedrals and village life. Axel Haig's popularity waned as European taste in art progressed from realism to impressionism but there is no argument that the works he produced were exceptional and remain very desirable to art collectors as significant masterpieces in their own right - despite the passage of time.