The Basilica of War 1916

Joseph Pennell made this drawing, The Basilica of War, with graphite on paper. I can imagine Pennell holding his pencil to create a tonal landscape of the factory interior, somewhere between a building and a machine. The marks have this scratching quality, as he built up the image, shifting and emerging through trial and error. I sympathize with him – the factory is cathedral-like but also oppressive. The surface is teeming with heavy industrial machinery. I notice a particular diagonal gesture suggesting the angle of the light. The mechanical wheels almost look like cogs turning inside Pennell's mind, trying to work out his vision. This reminds me of Piranesi's dark views of Rome, or maybe some of the German Expressionist painters. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring one another. I appreciate how this drawing embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations.