The Monument 1903

Joseph Pennell made this print called "The Monument" sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. I imagine Pennell outside, in a busy intersection in London, squinting his eyes trying to capture the likeness of the monument, and the traffic, and the buildings, all at once. He's working fast, scratching and biting at the metal plate, trying to get it all down before the light changes, or a carriage gets in the way. The column soars upwards, a thick vertical, topped with a fussy little crown. It reminds me of Piranesi, all those 18th century etchings of Rome, or maybe the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, finding beauty in the chaos of the modern city. You can feel the energy of the city, the push and pull of different forces, all converging in one spot. Pennell is part of an ongoing conversation about cities and modernity.