The Viaduct, D., L. & W. at Nicholson, Pa. 1919

Joseph Pennell made this etching of the Viaduct at Nicholson, Pennsylvania. Look how the whole scene is described through linear hatching! It's like he's feeling around for the form with his lines. I can imagine Pennell, standing there in front of the viaduct, plate in hand, trying to figure out how to translate this massive structure into a network of delicate marks. The smokestack plumes of the train become this cloud, mirroring the clouds above and making the scene feel ephemeral. The way he used the etching needle is like drawing with light, scraping away at the darkness to reveal the form. He must have been thinking about how to balance the industrial grandeur of the viaduct with the quiet intimacy of the town below. It's as though the aquatint floats on the surface of the plate, capturing the essence of a fleeting moment. Painters talk to each other across time – each mark responding to the marks of others. We try to capture something true, and leave room for uncertainty.