The Acropolis from the Temple of Jupiter, Athens 1913

Joseph Pennell’s The Acropolis from the Temple of Jupiter, Athens looks as though it's been etched with charcoal, the moody grey tones creating an image which emerges from the stone itself. I imagine Pennell standing in the very spot, squinting in the Mediterranean light, trying to figure out the best way to make the scene come alive. The lines of the Temple soar up. I can see him wanting to capture the scene, the weight of those columns, the way they reach for the sky. There's a tension in the air, like he's fighting the stone to make it reveal its secrets. The sky pulses with marks, and, overall, the drawing gives a great sense of light and shadow. It’s like Pennell wanted to capture the essence of the place, not just its likeness, but a feeling. He reminds me of Piranesi, but with even more gusto and a lot of feeling. Looking at this, you know that images are always being remade. What came before is reimagined.