Rainy Night, Charing Cross Shops 1903

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Rainy Night, Charing Cross Shops, and it’s a mood. The whole scene is built up from these incredibly fine, dark lines. It’s like he’s not just showing us a rainy night, but the feeling *of* a rainy night, where everything blurs. Up close, you can see the tiny, scratchy marks that build up the scene. Look at how the rain isn't just falling straight down. Pennell has this way of making it feel like it's coming at you from all angles. It's all about how the light hits the wet streets, with these dark, scribbly lines creating the reflections. The marks are physical, like you could reach out and feel them. This reminds me of Whistler and his interest in tonalism. Like Whistler, Pennell isn’t trying to give us a perfect picture. He's giving us an impression, a feeling, a moment in time. It's all about suggestion.