We Passed...the Parral c. 1903

Joseph Pennell made this drawing, We Passed...the Parral, with crayon and charcoal on paper. I see the charcoal smudged and rubbed to create soft shadows. It makes me think about the directness of mark-making, the artist’s hand moving across the page, smearing the charcoal to bring forth a place. I imagine him standing there, squinting to really see it. It's almost as if he’s sculpting with light and shadow. It's dark, the light comes from the buildings across the water. The textures are so varied—smooth water, rough trees and buildings—you could almost reach out and touch them. It's like Pennell is in conversation with Whistler and maybe even going further back to the old masters like Piranesi. Artists constantly riff off each other across time, each adding their voice. And here, Pennell uses darkness to show us the way.