Bringing in the Gun 1916

Curator: Looking at this etching by Joseph Pennell, titled "Bringing in the Gun" from 1916, what strikes you immediately? Editor: Wow, it feels incredibly imposing. The sheer scale of whatever structure that is, combined with that rising smoke, just breathes heavy industry. It's got a really stark, almost intimidating presence, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. Pennell really captured the monumentality of industry, especially during wartime. His masterful use of line, so sharp and precise, builds this almost cathedral-like factory interior. Notice how he uses light and shadow? Editor: The way the light filters through the roof is almost spiritual, like light through a stained-glass window, ironically sanctifying machinery. But it's also the machinery itself, dominating the human figure, that I find fascinating. They seem so insignificant. Is Pennell celebrating progress, or warning us about its impact? Curator: That's precisely the tension within Pennell's work, I feel. He admired the engineering and scale but wasn't blind to its potential cost, especially human cost. The way he handles perspective exaggerates the space, making it both awesome and deeply unsettling. Editor: Yes, like Piranesi's architectural fantasies—epic, detailed, but also somehow…menacing. I'm curious, in his etching process, how did Pennell build so much volume, the very real feeling of mass? Curator: Pennell layers the etching lines. Deeper, bolder strokes for foreground elements such as the locomotive to show power. Delicate, almost invisible marks recede towards the back and indicate enormous distance to the top of the structure. You can almost hear the rumble and echo inside. Editor: Looking at the final artwork and knowing what Joseph Pennell tried to evoke, it becomes very impactful, both the theme of war, power, but also his mastery of lines and vision. Curator: I completely agree, what seemed just imposing, we start to appreciate now its layered significance, through form and content, and his capacity to capture modernity’s ambition, uncertainty, and awe.