Building Engines for the Allies 1917

Joseph Pennell made this print, Building Engines for the Allies, using lithographic crayon. It’s a messy, smudgy medium and I love the way the marks are layered, like seeing the build-up of graphite dust, capturing the energy of the factory floor. Look at the way the workers become part of the machinery, their bodies rendered with quick, dynamic lines. I imagine Pennell, sketching rapidly, trying to keep up with the frenetic pace of production. The lithographic crayon seems perfect for conveying this sense of urgent activity, the strokes mimicking the movements of the workers and the machines. There is a clear link here to the Italian Futurists, like Boccioni or Carra. I see those kinds of paintings as an attempt to capture the dynamism and energy of modern life, but whereas the Futurists celebrated the machine age, Pennell, through his choice of medium, brings a more human touch.