Concourse, Grand Central, New York 1919

Joseph Pennell made this etching of the concourse in Grand Central, New York, and its all about how line can create space. Pennell wasn't trying to capture every detail, but to give you a sense of this cavernous station. It's like he scribbled his way into the scene. Look closely at the way he draws the people. They're just quick marks, almost like the punctuation in a sentence, but somehow, you get the feeling of a crowd buzzing with energy. I especially like the lines that define the architecture. They are not perfectly straight but have this wobbly quality that gives the building a kind of life. It reminds me of Piranesi, who was another master of architectural prints. But where Piranesi is all about the grandeur of ruins, Pennell finds the sublime in the everyday hustle of modern life. It's like he's saying, even in a train station, there's beauty to be found if you just know how to look.