The Washing Place of Madrid c. 1903

Joseph Pennell made ‘The Washing Place of Madrid’ using chalk and charcoal. It’s all about marks, isn’t it? Dark and smudgy marks, full of tone and texture. Pennell has built up these marks to make a visual impression, a feeling, of this place near Madrid. I like to imagine him outside, squinting at the scene, charcoal in hand. He must have been thinking about how to capture all that light reflecting off the washed clothes. You can see how he’s gone back over it, pressing harder in some places, creating dark shadows under the washing lines. It makes me think of other artist peers like Whistler or Manet, trying to capture everyday scenes with a sense of atmosphere. That little flourish of a signature in the corner – it's a confident mark. It says, 'I was here, I saw this, and now, so do you.' I love that! It’s an artist dropping breadcrumbs into time, inviting us into their way of seeing, and feeling.