The Sea Lord's Yard c. 1912

Joseph Pennell made this print, ‘The Sea Lord’s Yard,’ using etching, creating a kind of skeletal city out of lines. There's something so raw and immediate about the lines, they feel like you’re watching Pennell figure out the space in real-time. Look at how the web of lines builds up the textures of the cranes and scaffolding. Some areas are dense, almost chaotic, while others are left spare, letting the light in. The scratches and the delicate strokes, they all come together to create this really immersive sense of place, like we’re right there amidst the industry and activity of the shipyard. The way he captured the industrial landscape reminds me a little of Piranesi, but with a distinctly American flavor, a celebration of progress mixed with a touch of melancholy for what’s being lost. With Pennell, it's not about perfection, it's about the messy, dynamic process of seeing and recording.