Old Million Eyes
1910
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.7297
Art Historical Context
Joseph Pennell's *Old Million Eyes* (191) is a striking lithograph that captures the artist's fascination with America's booming urban landscapes. Pennell, a leading figure in the American printmaking revival of the late 19th early 20th centuries, was for his bold, atmospheric depictions of architecture, industry, and cityscapes. Working in the Progressive Era, when skyscrapers were transforming New York into a vertical marvel, he often portrayed these structures with dramatic light and shadow, evoking both awe and the relentless energy of modernization. As a lithograph—a planographic techniq...
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 ...