Arch of Bridge of Alcantara 1904

Joseph Pennell made this etching of the Arch of Bridge of Alcantara, and boy, can you feel his hand in it. It's all about the lines, isn’t it? Like, did he start with the bridge's arch, or did he build up from the water, letting the reflections guide him? I get the sense he really built it up. What did the bridge sound like when he etched it? Look at those scratchy, nervous lines that define the stones, the water, the sky—they’re so alive, so full of energy. You can almost hear the scratching of the tool across the plate, the sheer physicality of the process. Each mark feels deliberate, yet spontaneous, like he's wrestling with the image, trying to capture not just what he sees, but how it feels to be there, looking at this monumental structure. It reminds me a bit of Piranesi, but with a more intimate touch. Like Pennell’s inviting us to feel the weight of history, but also the simple pleasure of looking.