Duke of York's Column 1905

Joseph Pennell made this print of the Duke of York's Column using etching, a process that, like painting, embraces the beauty of the accidental. The lines here are a delicate dance, a kind of controlled chaos that gives the scene its energy. Look closely at the way Pennell renders the trees, for example. See how the lines are layered, almost scribbled, creating a sense of depth and movement. This isn't about photographic realism; it's about capturing the feeling of a place, the light filtering through the leaves, the hustle and bustle of people. You can almost feel the breeze! And the column itself, rising up from the chaos, is rendered with a confident verticality. It reminds me a little of Whistler’s prints, but with a bit more grit. Pennell’s not afraid to let the process show, to leave in the little imperfections that give the work its character. It's this openness to chance, to the unexpected, that makes art so endlessly fascinating, isn't it?