The Jungle 1912

Joseph Pennell made this print, The Jungle, using delicate lines that build up into a pretty complex scene. It’s like he’s feeling his way through the image, letting the lines find their place, much like a painter might let the paint guide them. Look at the way he’s built up the foliage on either side, especially on the right. It’s like a wall of green, but made up of so many tiny marks! You can almost feel the density of the jungle, the weight of all those plants pressing in. And then, those lines that describe the steam of the locomotive, or the light catching the water – it's amazing how much he conveys with so little. The contrast between the chaos of the jungle and the straight lines of the railway, makes you think about the taming of nature. It reminds me a bit of Piranesi, that obsessive mark-making! Both artists create worlds that are both beautiful and kind of overwhelming. Ultimately, it's about the feeling of being lost in the image.