The Woolworth Building
1915
Medium
etching
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Miss Elisabeth Achelis
Accession Number
1942.6.54
Art Historical Context
Behold the soaring majesty of *The Woolworth* (1915), a masterful etching by Joseph Pennell one of America's foremost printmakers of the early 20th century.ured just two years after its completion in 1913, this print immortalizes New York City's iconic skyscraper—once the world's tallest at 792 feet—as a Gothic Revival "Cathedral of Commerce." Penn dramatic composition highlights its intricate terracotta facade and luminous verticality, evoking the era's awe at architectural ambition funded by the five-and-dime empire of F.W. Woolworth. As an etching, Pennell's work showcases the medium's pre...
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 ...