Alcalá, "The Gorgeous Sarcophagus" of Ximenez c. 1903

Joseph Pennell made this artwork called "Alcalá, "The Gorgeous Sarcophagus" of Ximenez" with graphite on paper. The entire scene feels like it is about to disappear into darkness; like a memory fading. The dark graphite strokes almost swallow the space, but not quite. The lines dance and hover just enough to capture the light. Pennell is letting us peep in on a place of burial. I can imagine the artist quickly sketching the scene in the quiet cool of the cathedral. Pennell's focus here isn't on detail, it's more on the emotional resonance of the site. The textures of stone, the weight of history, and the quiet reverence of the space. What might Pennell been thinking as he captured this scene? I wonder if he thought about his own mortality as he looked upon the sarcophagus of Ximenez. Maybe this drawing was about working through those thoughts?