The Boat Builders 1917

Joseph Pennell made this drawing called, "The Boat Builders," using what looks like graphite, and I am really drawn to the economy of line in this piece. Pennell isn't trying to trick you into thinking you are seeing real life here; he's just making marks to tell a story. There’s a lovely tension in the drawing between the detailed rendering of the boat’s structure, you can almost count the planks, and the more gestural treatment of the figures working on it, bending and stretching. See how some of the lines are darker and more emphatic, while others are barely there? It’s like Pennell is thinking aloud, editing and adjusting as he goes. I find that incredibly engaging. For me, the directness of Pennell’s draftsmanship is reminiscent of the work of Kathe Kollwitz. Both artists share a similar approach to portraying labor and industry with sensitivity, inviting you to imagine the grit, sweat and smell of the workshop in the process.