Subway Excavation 1920

Joseph Pennell created this etching of a construction site, probably in the early 20th century. The sepia tones and sketchy lines give the feeling of looking at something in progress. The artist is almost reaching for the forms rather than defining them. There's a beautiful tension between the chaotic scaffolding in the foreground, and the architecture rising up behind. Pennell's use of line is so expressive, you can almost feel the grit and the raw energy of the site. Look at the lower part of the image, where the lines are thickest, and suggest the weight and stress of the building works. The overall effect reminds me of Piranesi, who also used etching to portray the grandeur and complexity of architecture. But where Piranesi is meticulous and precise, Pennell is loose and intuitive. He revels in the mess and the ambiguity, and suggests that art can be as much about the process of building as the finished product.