Brooklyn Bridge Enters Manhattan c. 1940

This print, Brooklyn Bridge Enters Manhattan, was made by Arnold R. Southwell sometime in the middle of the 20th century. The first thing you notice is the marks, thousands of tiny, rapid marks that almost feel like they vibrate off the page. Look closely at how they build up the image, creating this incredible sense of light and shadow. The texture created is amazing. There is a softness to the image, like the scene is covered in a layer of mist. The lines aren't precise, but somehow it all comes together, conjuring the immensity and scale of the bridge, and the city it leads to. Notice the bridge and how it dominates the image. The lines that make up the bridge are darker and more defined, but there is a looseness about the buildings. It makes me think of Whistler, with his atmospheric, tonal etchings of the Thames. Both artists capture something fleeting, a feeling more than a literal depiction. In this print, Southwell isn't just showing us a bridge, it's a mood, a moment in time, full of movement. Art isn’t about being fixed; it’s a conversation, a back-and-forth across time.