Power-House, Berlin
1914
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.6819
Art Historical Context
Joseph Pennell's *Power-House, Berlin (1914) is a striking lithograph that captures the monumental scale of early 20th-century industrial architecture. Created on the eve of World War I, print depicts a Berlin power station, symbolizing Germany's rapid industrialization and technological prowess during the Wilhelmine era. Pennell, a leading American printmaker renowned for his dramatic depictions of modern engineering feats—from skyscrapers to bridges—traveled extensively in Europe, producing vivid on-site lithographs that celebrated human ingenuity against vast urban landscapes. Rendered in ...
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 ...