The Cliffs
1904
Medium
Etching on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 29.7 × 22.2 cm (11 3/4 × 8 3/4 in.); Sheet: 39.2 × 25 cm (15 7/16 × 9 7/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
28806
Art Historical Context
Joseph Pennell's *The Cliffs* (1904) captures the rugged majesty of nature through the precise artistry of etching, a technique the American printmaker mastered during the early 20th-century etching. Printed on cream laid paper, work measures 29.7 × .2 cm, showcasing Pennell's ability to evoke texture and depth with intricate lines incised into a metal plate and bitten by acid. Housed in the Art Institute Chicago's Prints and Drawings, it exemplifies his prolific output of over 900 etchings, often inspired by dramatic landscapes encountered during his travels across Europe and America. Pennel...
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 ...