The West Street Building from the Singer Building 1908

This is Joseph Pennell’s etching, The West Street Building from the Singer Building. Look how Pennell's mark-making feels almost like a dance. The lines aren't just describing shapes; they’re alive, suggesting the energy of the city. It reminds me that art is a process, a conversation between the artist and the material. The etching has this beautiful, slightly rough texture. You can almost feel the grit of the city in the lines, a kind of delicate chaos. Notice how he handles the sky and the water, the softness of the smoke. Then your eye travels down to the details of the buildings, where everything is so sharp and angular, like he’s showing us two different worlds in one image. This piece makes me think of Piranesi, but instead of ancient ruins, we have the modern ruins of industry. Pennell isn't just showing us a building; he's showing us a moment in time, a way of seeing and experiencing the world. There’s a sense of ambiguity here, a sense that the city is always changing, always becoming something else.