Night in the Yosemite

Night in the Yosemite

Joseph Pennell

1912

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows a dark, misty forest at night. Tall trees loom in the background, their trunks blending into the shadows. A narrow path winds through the center, barely visible under the thick fog. The artist used a rough, scratchy texture—almost like the brushstrokes are fighting to break through the darkness. This is a lithograph, not a painting, so the lines were etched onto a stone instead of brushed onto canvas. Next, check out how lithography works—it’s a whole different way of making art.

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