Etching the city juni 2019

Whistler and Pennell - Sudley House, Liverpool museums



Whistler and Pennell: Etching the City captures the changing landscape of New York and London in the final years of the industrial revolution. Featuring more than 30 prints from two of the most influential and innovative etchers - James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) and Joseph Pennell (1857-1926), the exhibition highlights an important period in the history of etching known as the 'Etching Revival'. It explores how both artists championed a declining art medium, and their motivation to create a definitive technique and style.

The artists shared an interest in the role of architecture, engineering, industry and production, but differed in their approach. Whistler’s imagery captured the individual characteristics of the city and its workers, while Pennell’s provides an impersonal and more distant perspective.

The exhibition also explores the lives of both American artists and their motivations for immigrating to Britain in the second half of the 19th century 


PS Whistler en Pennell zouden JDB beïnvloed hebben. Karel Van de Woestijne verwees specifiek naar de invloed van Pennell.