Submarines in Port 1917

Joseph Pennell made this drawing of 'Submarines in Port' with pencil on paper and what I love is the way it shows us how drawing can be a real thinking process. I'm struck by how Pennell uses such a light touch, almost like he's feeling his way through the scene. The pencil marks are delicate, creating a hazy, dreamlike quality. Look at the way he renders the water, those quick, flickering lines that suggest movement and reflection without ever fully defining them. It’s as though he’s trying to capture not just what he sees, but also the feeling of being there, the atmosphere of the port. The texture of the paper becomes part of the image, adding to the sense of immediacy and intimacy. This reminds me a little of Whistler’s etchings, in the way that Pennell uses a limited palette and a sense of suggestion to evoke a mood. Neither artist is trying to give us a photo-realistic depiction, but rather an impression, an interpretation. And it's in that space between seeing and feeling that the real magic happens.