Joseph Pennell - prints and biography
Joseph Pennell
Biography
Joseph Pennell (1857–1926) was an American draftsman, etcher, lithographer, and illustrator whose prolific career left an indelible mark on late 19th- and early 20th-century printmaking. Born in Philadelphia, Pennell trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before moving to Europe in the early 1880s. He would spend much of his working life abroad, creating thousands of drawings, etchings, and lithographs that chronicled the architecture, industry, and landscapes of the modern world.
Pennell was particularly drawn to cities, where monumental landmarks and burgeoning industrial sites became central themes in his work. His ability to capture both the grandeur of historic structures and the raw energy of modern industry made him one of the most sought-after illustrators of his time. Among his most notable works is Wren’s City, a print depicting Christopher Wren’s architectural legacy in London after the Great Fire. In this etching, Pennell combines a deep respect for the city’s history with his own keen eye for atmosphere, portraying London as both timeless and alive with urban presence.
Over the course of his career, Pennell traveled widely, producing prints and illustrations of cities including Venice, Rome, Paris, and New York, as well as of the Panama Canal under construction. His works often highlight the contrast between the permanence of classical architecture and the dynamism of modern engineering projects.
Beyond his visual art, Pennell was also a respected writer and educator. He collaborated with his wife, author Elizabeth Robins Pennell, on several publications, and wrote extensively about printmaking techniques and the role of the artist in modern society.
Pennell’s prints are held in major collections worldwide, including the British Museum, the Library of Congress, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work continues to be celebrated for its technical mastery, documentary value, and its ability to capture both the history and transformation of the modern city.
WREN'S CITY (Wuerth. 504) by Joseph Pennell (1857-1926) . Mezzotint, 1909, signed and inscribed imp. in pencil, edition of approximately 75. Fine rich impression and condition, trimmed in a Whistlerian manor, top and sides to plate mark. Beautiful example.
The skyline of London, dominated by St. Paul's Cathedral. Sir Christopher Wren was given the task of designing the new St. Paul's Cathedral, a replacement for the earlier structure destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
Here is Joseph Pennell's own words on his struggle to create this, his first mezzotint:
"I did not rock, lay this ground myself. The method is simply to fasten the copper plate to a table and then with a mezzotint rocker attached to a long pole with a joint which permits the whole affair to rock, go over the entire plate many times in many directions till it is entirely roughened up and if inked will print perfectly black.
I then made in Russian charcoal a sketch of the subject on a thin sheet of paper and laying it face downward on the plate in the press passed it through and the drawing came off, was transferred to the copper and gave a guide to follow. I commenced on the glittery water with muscle, and a scraper, cutting down the dots and then drew the design with the scraper—it was good to look upon-rubbing ink on the plate to see what I was doing— and then I put it on the press and pulled it-thinking I had done something which should rival and surpass the mezzotinters of the past, and got the dirtiest, scratchiest mess I ever saw. So I appealed to Frank Short and he told me that …. all his own work was the result of slavish drudgery-and I found this out. Had it not been for this damnable war I would have found out how to work—I have maybe-but since the time of Prince Rupert mezzotint has become the means of expression of the methodic plodder. I know something can be done with it. This plate was my first attempt—and I am not ashamed of it—of trying to render, as well as I could Wren's realized dream, so I scraped and scraped and scraped my drawing, working with the scraper from dark to light, and I have done what I could." (excerpt from Etchers and Etching, by Joseph Pennell, 1919.)