Broad St. Station 1912

Joseph Pennell made this print, Broad St. Station, with lithographic ink on paper. Just look at these marks! See how the cross-hatched lines build up the dark sky, with all the anxious energy of a storm brewing. I can almost see Pennell, leaning in, intensely focused, dragging the litho crayon across the surface of the stone, pushing and pulling, trying to capture the grimy energy of the city. I know that feeling when you’re working, trying to get everything down, your hand flying across the page. It can be frustrating to have to translate the world into marks, but, here, I think Pennell really embraces that challenge. It reminds me a little of Whistler, another printmaker, and the way that he was always trying to capture the fleeting, transitory moments of modern life. Painting and printmaking; a way to slow the world down.