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 forest at night, with thick trees crowding the edges. A narrow path cuts through the middle, barely lit by faint moonlight. The scene feels quiet and shadowy, with no clear details except the rough shapes of trunks and branches. The artist used a scratchy, grainy style that makes the night feel alive. This isn’t a smooth painting—it looks like the print itself has texture, almost like the forest’s roughness. Next, check out lithography to see how this kind of printmaking works.

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