Concourse, Grand Central, New York 1919

This print of the Grand Central concourse in New York by Joseph Pennell is a delicate dance of lines made with a needle dipped in acid on a copper plate. I can imagine Pennell moving back and forth from the station to his studio, feeling the immense weight of the station, trying to fix that energy onto a small plate. Look at the light falling from the tall windows, the columns, and the vaulted ceiling. You can almost hear the hustle and bustle of commuters. He captures the architectural majesty, but it's the tiny figures, like notes in a musical score, that bring it alive. There's a touch of Whistler in the atmospheric quality here. It's all about capturing a mood, an impression. It's not just a picture of a place, but a feeling. And maybe that’s what painting is: one artist whispering to another across time.