Bronx El 1940

Jacob Kainen made this etching titled Bronx El in 1940. It's all about lines, isn't it? So many little hatches and dashes build up this whole scene, this cityscape. You can almost feel the grit and the grime of the Bronx just by looking at them. There's a real sense of depth and space here. Kainen uses these tiny marks to create shadows, like the heavy darkness under the elevated train line. But then there are the lighter, more delicate lines that suggest the sky and distant buildings. The crazy thing is how the foreground seems to tilt upward, like the city itself is rising to meet you. It's kind of disorienting, but that's what makes it so cool. The way the elevated train station intersects with the urban landscape reminds me of Piranesi, the way he used to depict these massive, impossible architectural spaces. It's all about layers and complexity. Ultimately, Kainen reminds us that art isn't just about seeing, but about experiencing and questioning.