The New Gun-Pit 1916

Joseph Pennell made "The New Gun-Pit" with hatching and cross-hatching marks that give it a dynamic and energetic feel, as though the walls are vibrating. I think Pennell wanted to make a drawing that’s also a testament, full of admiration for how things are made. I can imagine him on location, maybe on a special tour, with a sketchbook in hand. He is looking up, craning his neck to take it all in. He’s not trying to make something pretty, necessarily. I can see the way he used the pencil to quickly map out shapes and textures, capturing the play of light and shadow across the rough surfaces of the machinery, and the way the light filters through the windows. I am really moved by the sharp contrasts between light and dark and the lines that create a sense of depth, almost like a stage set. The artist is in conversation with the futurists, but in his own way, as artists often do.