Stock Yards, Chicago 1910

Joseph Pennell made this print of the Chicago stock yards using etching, a printmaking technique that uses acid to corrode lines in a metal plate. The image comes into being through a patient process of mark-making. I think of the artist standing before this overwhelming scene, trying to find some point of focus. It’s like he’s saying, "How do I even begin to capture this?" The repetition of lines, all those vertical posts and fences, creates a kind of rhythm that’s both ordered and chaotic. See how the depth is created through the use of lines, varying in thickness and proximity? What I like about etching is its ability to capture detail, but with a certain looseness. It's a reminder that even the most industrial or representational subjects can be approached with a sense of play and personal expression. Pennell is in conversation with other artists who find beauty and order in depicting the urban landscape. Each artist takes inspiration from another, finding new ways to capture the world around them.