The Monument 1903

Joseph Pennell made this etching, "The Monument," using a metal plate to create an image that feels both solid and fleeting. The approach is all about the line, a web of marks that build up the scene, almost like a nervous system exposed. Pennell's etched lines don't try to hide their process. You can see the scratchy, hurried energy in the sky, a frantic contrast to the monument's rigid form. Look at the way the buildings are suggested, not described, fading into the background like memories. It's a very physical medium, etching, and you can feel the artist's hand pushing and pulling, coaxing the image out of the metal. Pennell reminds me a bit of Whistler, another master of the etching. Both were interested in capturing the atmosphere of modern life. Ultimately, though, art’s not about answers. It's about opening up a space for questions and possibilities, and Pennell does just that.