Within the Ferry, Cortlandt Street, New York 1919

Joseph Pennell made this print of the Cortlandt Street Ferry in New York using etching on paper. It's a messy scene of scratches, which, in my mind, kind of mirrors the chaos of getting around the city. Pennell is working in ink, just scratching these lines into a copper plate and then printing it. You can imagine him in a little trance, just trying to get it down. It’s a bit claustrophobic, this scene, what with the hulking arched ceiling looming overhead. I imagine Pennell wanted to capture the energy of New York, not just how it looked but how it felt. I wonder if he was thinking about Piranesi when he made this print – both artists depict buildings that appear to be swallowing us whole! You see this kind of mark-making in the work of a lot of artists - everyone puts their own spin on it. Etching is all about repetition and rhythm, and in this piece I can sense Pennell finding beauty in the everyday.