Untitled (Industrial Scene) c. 1930 - 1940

Walter Simmons Breene created this etching, “Untitled (Industrial Scene),” sometime in the first half of the twentieth century. He uses a delicate web of fine marks to build a scene of heavy industry. It's a smoggy scene, captured through the intense labour of applying those tiny etched lines. Look closely at the plumes of smoke billowing from the stacks. See how Breene uses short, almost frantic, strokes to capture their ephemeral quality? The texture contrasts with the solid, geometric shapes of the buildings below, built with controlled, deliberate lines. This tension gives the image a kind of nervous energy. The printmaking process is also like that, you are in control but never fully! Breene's work reminds me a little of Joseph Pennell, who also depicted industrial landscapes with a mix of awe and unease. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art can be a dialogue across time, where artists respond to and build upon each other's visions, without ever settling on one true vision of the world.