Sunlight Soap 1905

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Sunlight Soap, with ink on paper at an unknown date. Pennell’s approach feels very process oriented, like he's thinking through the image as he makes it, letting the marks guide him. Look at the way he's built up the tones, using these fine lines to create a sense of depth and texture. It’s not about perfect representation, it’s about the feeling of a place, of a moment. The material aspects of this work really stand out. The texture of the brick, the way the light hits the windows, it all feels so palpable. And there’s something about the marks he makes, especially around the figures, that reminds me of Whistler's prints, that kind of loose, suggestive mark-making. This piece feels like a conversation between artists, across time, each exploring the possibilities of the medium. Ultimately, it’s all about seeing, feeling, and making.