Classic London, St. Martin's-in-the-Fields 1906

Joseph Pennell created this print of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields in 1904, and right away I'm struck by his mark-making, how the scene is built up from these incredibly delicate lines. It's like he's feeling his way through the image. The etching feels almost ghostly. Everything is implied rather than stated. The buildings are suggested with these tiny, nervous lines. Look at how the columns are rendered, just a series of quick, vertical strokes. The whole thing feels very immediate, like a fleeting impression, and gives the image movement, as if the city is constantly in flux. There's a real conversation happening here between light and shadow, solid and void, and it reminds me of Whistler's prints. But where Whistler is all about atmosphere and mood, Pennell feels more grounded, more interested in the nuts and bolts of the city itself. It's a reminder that art is always a dialogue.