Aetna from Taormina 1913

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Aetna from Taormina, with ink on paper. The surface is alive with hatching, short, close parallel lines that give form and depth. You can almost see the hand moving across the plate, digging into the metal to create this image. The mountain looms in the background. Ruins of a former civilization are etched with intricate detail in the foreground. I wonder what Pennell was thinking as he worked on this piece, probably in his studio. What was it like to render such an impressive natural scene? The textures are fantastic, aren't they? How the crumbling stones contrast with the smooth, far-off mountain. It reminds me of Piranesi's architectural fantasies, or even some of the Hudson River School painters. There's something timeless about this scene. Artists are always looking back, riffing off what came before. I think that with this etching, Pennell is inviting us to reflect on time, history, and the dialogue between humanity and nature.