The Inner Walls c. 1901

Curator: This etching by Joseph Pennell, titled "The Inner Walls," presents a striking street scene. The Harvard Art Museums hold this work. What do you make of it? Editor: The high contrast and sharp lines create a somewhat unsettling feeling, as though the walls themselves are pressing in. Curator: Pennell often used architectural subjects to explore themes of confinement and hidden histories. The walls, overgrown with foliage, almost seem to conceal secrets. Editor: Yes, the organic versus the geometric is interesting. The unruly plant life is fighting against the rigid geometry of the buildings. Curator: Perhaps reflecting a deeper tension between nature and the built environment, and the stories those structures silently hold. Editor: A compelling tension, making us look closely at the balance in the composition. Curator: Indeed. Pennell provides us a glimpse of the past and invites us to reflect on what remains unseen. Editor: It's an evocative work that uses formal techniques to convey a powerful psychological space.