Shot Tower between the Bridges
1910
Medium
etching [trial proof]
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Addie Burr Clark
Accession Number
1946.9.226
Art Historical Context
Step into Joseph Pennell's *Shot Tower between the Bridges* (1910), a captivating etching that captures the gritty majesty of early 20th-century urban industry. Pennell, a prolific American printmaker renowned for his dramatic depictions of architecture and cityscapes, masterfully renders a towering shot tower—once used to produce lead shot by dropping molten metal from great heights—framed between two bridges. This trial proof, an experimental state before the final edition, offers a rare glimpse into the artist's iterative process, showcasing rich tonal variations and intricate details not a...
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 ...