The Commuters 1919

Joseph Pennell's "The Commuters" (1919), a powerful etching, captures the bustling energy of a train station. The composition is dominated by a mass of figures, their forms rendered in a graphic, almost abstract style. The shadowy interior of the station emphasizes the anonymity of the commuting masses, while the structural elements and steam billowing from a train engine suggest the power and energy of modern industrial life. This print, a testament to Pennell's mastery of etching, is a poignant depiction of the urban experience at the turn of the 20th century.