Brasserie Lafayette 1893

Editor: We’re looking at Joseph Pennell’s "Brasserie Lafayette," an etching from 1893. It's all in sepia tones and at first glance it feels incredibly bustling, capturing the lively energy of a busy outdoor café. The texture looks almost like it’s vibrating! What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: It vibrates, exactly! Doesn't it feel like a half-remembered dream, a fleeting Parisian moment captured in smoky hues? Pennell was a master of atmosphere. Think about what it means to capture such ephemeral feelings. It’s more than just recording what was *there*. Notice the quick, suggestive lines, how he uses light and shadow to create depth where there isn't much detail. It is Impressionism through a printmaker’s lens. Do you get that sense? Editor: Yes, definitely! It's less about precise representation and more about the *feeling* of the place. The looseness gives it that immediacy. How would a painting compare with this effect of immediacy using etching? Curator: Precisely! Etching, especially done like this, allows for a sketch-like quality – immediate, almost journalistic. Think of a painter needing to mix colours, build layers… here, Pennell could scratch and bite into the plate, directly responding to the scene before him. Wouldn't you agree this reflects a certain social energy of the era? A bit frenetic, full of possibility... Editor: Absolutely. The busyness contrasts to, say, Whistler's nocturnes. There's something more optimistic here. Curator: Optimistic is a lovely word for it! More than optimism, this little window offers me an invitation. Editor: It feels unfinished but complete. So alive. Curator: Just as life is. That’s the point! It teaches me something.