A Doorway, Toledo c. 1903

Joseph Pennell made this print of a doorway in Toledo, using a drypoint technique, which is all about directness, like sketching with a really sharp needle on a metal plate. Look at the way he's built up the shadows, those little burrs of metal catching the ink. It's almost like he's feeling his way through the scene. The rough texture around the doorway gives it this weighty presence, a sense of history etched into the very stone. Then, the light just spills out, creating this dramatic contrast. I love how he suggests details without fully defining them, like the figure in the doorway – is it a ghost, a memory? It reminds me of Piranesi's etchings, but with a more intimate, personal touch. Art's always echoing, riffing, like a big conversation across time. And isn't it great that we get to eavesdrop?