The Ferry House
1919
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Miss Elisabeth Achelis
Accession Number
1942.6.52
Art Historical Context
Joseph Pennell's *The Ferry House* (1919) is a striking etching that captures the artist's masterful command of line and tone. Pennell, a leading American printmaker of the late 19th early 20th centuries was renowned for his dynamic depictions of architecture, landscapes, and urban scenes, often infused with the etching revival's emphasis on precision and drama. Created just after World War I, work reflects the era's fascination with industrial and vernacular structures, showcasing Pennell's ability to transform everyday subjects like a ferry house into evocative compositions through intricate...
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 ...