Delightful Pictures of Domestic Life, Alcalá c. 1903

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Delightful Pictures of Domestic Life, Alcalá, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The composition is built from an array of marks in different densities which give you a strong sense of light and shadow. It's like he's feeling his way through the scene, building up tone gradually, almost tentatively. Look at the foliage hanging above the figures, see how he uses short, broken lines to suggest the leaves, allowing the white of the paper to peek through? It's this kind of attention to detail, to the way light filters through the leaves, that makes the scene so inviting. Notice also the rough texture of the walls; Pennell captures their materiality with a series of quick, energetic strokes. It reminds me of Whistler, another artist who was obsessed with capturing fleeting moments and atmospheric effects in his etchings. There's a real sense of intimacy in Pennell's work. He invites us into this quiet, sun-dappled courtyard, encouraging us to slow down and appreciate the simple pleasures of daily life.