Canyon, No. III 1904

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Canyon, No. III, using a metal plate, acid, and ink, to describe a New York street. What grabs me is how Pennell uses a kind of shorthand – just a few quick strokes – to suggest the immensity of these buildings. You can really feel the bite of the acid in the plate. The surface has this incredible velvety texture, achieved through the build-up of tiny, close-knit lines. Look how he captures the light filtering down, that narrow slice of sky between the buildings. There’s a real energy in the way the lines vary in weight and direction, almost like musical notation. Down below, he captures a crowd of people with the same frenetic mark-making. It reminds me a little of Piranesi's architectural prints, though Pennell brings a distinctly modern sensibility. Ultimately it suggests that art thrives on these dialogues and influences across time.