Pittsburg, No. II 1909

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Pittsburg, No. II, in 1908. Look at how the network of fine lines comes together to conjure up a smoggy industrial scene, full of atmosphere. You can almost smell the coal and feel the grit! I can imagine him standing there with his etching needle, trying to capture the energy of this rapidly changing city, one of the powerhouses of America's industrial revolution. It reminds me of the Futurists in Europe, who were also obsessed with the dynamism of the modern world. It's like Pennell is saying, "Look at this incredible thing we've built, this machine-made landscape!" I really get a sense of how artists are constantly responding to their environment. It’s like they're in dialogue with each other, across time and place, trying to make sense of the world through their work.