The Falls, Yosemite Valley by Joseph Pennell
This is an etching from the Yosemite series by noted American etcher, Joseph Pennell. Pennell worked in Yosemite Valley and produced a number of etchings, including several of Yosemite Falls. This view captures both the upper and lower falls. Those familiar with Yosemite will note that the scene is reversed, as unless the artist reverses the image on the plate, it prints in reverse. Pennell does an outstanding job of capturing the grandeur of the massive walls of the valley. Drypoint is used to enhance the shadows. The Merced River is shown in the foreground. Pennell signed in pencil below the image. The etching image is very sharp--a deep impression with excellent ink. Plate toning through hand wiping enhances the image. The paper itself shows mat burn around the edges as it has been framed and matted in non-archival materials. This has not seemed to affect the image itself. It has not been examined outside the frame.
Joseph Pennell (1860-1926)
Pennell was born in Philadelphia and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Much of his time was spent in Europe, particularly in London, where he was greatly influenced by Whistler. His subjects are chiefly landscapes and architectural views, and his art is distinguished for its simplicity, technical perfection, and illustrative quality.
Pennell began his career as an illustrator. Following his marriage Pennell settled in London where he became friends with Robert Louis Stevenson, George Bernard Shaw and James Whistler. In the late 1880s, he was art critic of the Star newspaper. Following in the footsteps of Whistler and such French lithographers as Toulouse-Lautrec, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen and Odilon Redon, Pennell began experimenting with lithography. Pennell, like Whistler, was on the executive committee of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, and was put in charge of the hanging of prints for their first exhibition in 1898.
Pennell was known for his outspokenness and deep-seated convictions. According to Hartrick, It is a great mistake to believe that Pennell kow-towed to Whistler and was a mere echo of his opinions. He had a sincere admiration for his talent as an artist and was influenced in his own work by his technique in etching, but he held his own end up always.
He is represented by etchings, drawings, and lithographs in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh; and Brooklyn Museum, N.Y. Pennell was a member (1909) of the National Academy of Design and of numerous European societies and was a lecturer on illustration at the Slade School of Art, London, and the Royal College of Art, South Kensington. (From AllRefer.com and the Center for Whistler Studies, Glasgow)
Price: $450
Framed Size: 19.375 x 15 inches
Plate Size: 12.25 x 9 inches
Condition: Very Good
Medium: Etching
Subject: Landscape
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