The Facade of the Parthenon, Sunset 1913

Joseph Pennell made this lithograph of The Facade of the Parthenon, Sunset, and it feels like he wasn’t just looking at a building, but more like wrestling with a feeling. You can see the marks of the crayon dancing all over the paper. There is a real push and pull between shadow and light; the rough texture, the hatching and cross-hatching, all build to this overwhelming sense of awe. It’s almost like the building is breathing. If you look closely at the columns, you can see each one is made up of these anxious, searching lines. They are not just holding up the roof; they're straining against the weight of history itself. Pennell's work reminds me of Piranesi, who was also obsessed with architectural ruins and the way they speak to the passage of time. Both artists seem to be saying that nothing lasts forever, but that there is a strange beauty in decay.