Amiens from the Somme 1908

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Amiens from the Somme, with ink on paper. I can almost see him, scratching away at the plate, building up this whole world from tiny lines. The way he’s worked the shadows, it's like the buildings are breathing. You can see figures walking along the river, going about their daily life, but there's something ghostly about the cathedral in the background. He’s good at buildings. I guess it's a mix of precision and emotion, right? Like he really sees those buildings and feels something about them, too. I feel like I’m standing where Pennell stood, looking at what he saw, and in a way, seeing what he felt. Art is an ongoing conversation, and we're all invited to join in.