House of Cervantés, Madrid c. 1903

Joseph Pennell made this drawing, "House of Cervantés, Madrid," with what looks like graphite on paper. It has this wonderful sketch-like quality, where you can almost see the artist's hand moving across the page. The whole thing is rendered in these soft, gray tones, kind of like a memory fading in and out. You can see how the texture of the paper comes through. The strokes are wispy and light, especially around the edges of the building. There's a real sense of depth created by the way he's layered the marks. Look at the doorway, for instance, how the lines darken to suggest the shadows inside, it gives the work a sense of depth. Pennell's work makes me think a little bit of Whistler, both of them were so interested in capturing the mood of a place. This drawing is about more than just a building, it's about a feeling. It's about a moment in time, captured with simple marks.