Building the Building (from portfolio, Lithographs of New York in 1904)

About this artwork

Joseph Pennell embarked on an international career in 1884, moving from Pennsylvania to London and creating views of Europe as magazine illustrations and fine art prints. He made this series of New York subjects in 1904 during a brief return to the United States within his twenty-year London sojourn. Pennell described his immediate enthusiasm for New York's rapidly changing landscape, writing, "It's so beautiful, I must go out and make more immortal works--the mill is grinding and when it does s...

Art Historical Context

Joseph Pennell's *Building the Building*, from his 1904 portfolio *Lithographs of New in 1904* (published 1905), captures the dynamic energy of New York's burgeoning skyline during a transformative era. A Pennsylvania native who launched an international career in 1884 by relocating to London, Pennell returned to the U.S. that year, inspired by the city's rapid vertical growth. Working in lithography—a printmaking technique prized for its fluid lines and tonal range—he produced this series as both magazine illustrations and fine art editions, blending journalistic immediacy with artistic rever...

About the Artist

Joseph Pennell · 1857–1926

Joseph Pennell (1857–1926) was born in Philadelphia to Quaker parents and displayed an early aptitude for drawing, finding solace in sketching amid a challenging childhood. He received initial drawing instruction from James R. Lambdin and his first etching lessons from Stephen Ferris in 1879. Pennell attended night classes at the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art before studying at ...