Description:
brown toned, rigging across bottom with light area in center and tall building visible in distance
Label Text:
An ardent admirer of the work of James McNeill Whistler, the influential American expatriate often credited with sparking the revival of etching in the United States, Joseph Pennell shared Whistler's intense interest in the expressive possibilities of technical experimentation in printmaking. Pennell, however, chose a wider range of subjects, creating views of picturesque Venetian canals and gritty construction scenes set in American cities. Returning to the U.S. in 1917 after an extended stay in Europe, Pennell became known as the premier interpreter of New York, producing a full range of innovative prints in all media.
While many returning artists required time to adjust to the physical changes in New York (if they adjusted at all), Pennell's abiding interest in machinery and the character of urban spaces instantly attracted him to the city's new skyline. Caissons, Vesey Street, Pennell's last print, depicts the bustle of new construction on Vesey Street on the lower tip of Manhattan. Smoke billowing from the heavy machinery wreaths the Woolworth Building in the background. Just over ten years old at the time this print was made, this "old" monument of the city stands watch over the new construction.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1976.46.3 |
