Old Million Eyes 1910

Joseph Pennell pulled this print, Old Million Eyes, from a plate, at some point between his birth in 1857 and death in 1926, but you know, dates are overrated. The blacks are strong, but the marks are delicate, like he's caressing the metal rather than attacking it. The whole thing is built up from these tiny, almost hesitant lines. And that's the magic, right? You can almost feel him puzzling out the scene, line by line. Look at the way the light catches those buildings, how the windows become these little glowing rectangles. It's like a cityscape made of secrets, each window a glimpse into something unknown. I think of Piranesi, of course, those impossible architectures, but there's also something uniquely American here. I am fascinated by how different artists can evoke completely different feeling from the same set of materials. It is amazing how the conversation of art continues to evolve.