Swan at Leadenhall 1903

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Swan at Leadenhall, with ink on paper, and you can see the appeal of etching for an artist interested in architecture, as it lends itself to the sharp definition and strong contrasts that give buildings their form. The marks are scratchy and full of character, like a pen drawing, but with an atmospheric, tonal quality. The texture of the plate itself is visible in the final print, giving it a tactile quality. Look how the ink is denser in the upper half, framing the archway. It's like the entire image is being pulled upwards, drawn by that darkness. The details are rendered in such a way that it’s as though the whole scene is vibrating with energy. If you look at Piranesi's etchings, you'll notice that this kind of architectural rendering has a long history, and artists like Pennell were working within that lineage, using the possibilities of etching to evoke the grandeur and decay of the urban landscape. But, unlike Piranesi, Pennell gives us human subjects, and perhaps even a sense of human scale.