Newstand, New York 20th century

This print of a New York newsstand was made by David Gilbert sometime in the 20th century, using etching. Gilbert really gets the city, right? I mean, look at the way the ink catches on the rough paper, making the image almost vibrate. You can practically hear the rumble of the traffic and the shouts of the newsboys. And then there's that looming architecture, so imposing, like the city is pressing down. Look at the paper itself - you can see the lines where the plate bit into it, giving the whole scene this incredible texture. It's like the whole thing is about the push and pull of different pressures, the pressure of the city, the pressure of the news, even the pressure of the printing press itself. Notice that lamp post at the right, how it anchors the composition? It reminds me of a similar compositional trick Whistler used in his etchings of London, capturing that same sense of place, time, and feeling. What a conversation! This feels so true, even today.