William and Liberty Streets, New York 

John Marin sketched "William and Liberty Streets, New York" using graphite, capturing the burgeoning modernity of his time. The towering skyscrapers, sketched with assertive lines, aren't just buildings, they're modern obelisks—symbols of ambition and progress piercing the sky. But, look closer at the fractured composition, the almost chaotic energy. Compare this with Piranesi’s etchings of Rome, where ruins evoke a sense of grandeur but also decay. Here, Marin echoes this ambivalence. The city, for all its forward momentum, is drawn with a nervous hand, reflecting a deeper, perhaps subconscious anxiety about the relentless march of progress. The dynamism of the lines suggests more than just physical structures; they embody the psychological state of living in an era defined by rapid change. Just as the snake has resurfaced through time as a symbol of both healing and malice, so too does the city evoke contrasting sensations of excitement and fear. The image resonates with a primal response to change, a powerful force that has engaged viewers across generations.