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Born in 1860, Joseph Pennell showed talent as an artist early in life. Pennell started his art education at the School of Industrial Art, today known as the Philadelphia College of Art, and he also attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia from 1878 to 1880. Pennell continuously clashed with his professors and therefore never graduated from either art school. In 1884, Pennell moved to London and studied at the Slade School of Art, where he met James McNeill Whistler, who strongly influenced his work. Pennell’s technique was influenced by the drawings of Charles Reinhardt and the lithographs of Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. His first published print appeared in Scribner’s Monthly in July 1881. By the end of his career, Pennell was known as a master etcher, draughtsman, painter, illustrator, teacher, and author. Pennell produced prints from 1880 until his death in 1926.
Olympia from the Hill to the River is in the lithographic technique in which Pennell excelled. In the foreground of the image appear the ruins of the Temple of Hera at Olympia in Greece. On the left side next to trees are two human figures whose small size emphasizes the scale of the ruins. The temple is largely destroyed, with only two columns of the Doric order standing. Also visible farther back in space is another temple dedicated to the goddess Zeus, husband of Hera. What is unique about this lithograph, aside from its unusual perspective on the ruins, is the variety of textures created. The mountains and rivers show the texture of the rock on which the lithograph was produced. The grasses in the foreground have small scratches, which Pennell probably made with the assistance of a small blade. By contrast, the trees and architectural ruins have stronger, bolder lines. The ruins are framed by the trees, mountains, and a river. The contrast between organic and man-made features focuses attention on the Temple of Hera, highlighted by the two re-erected columns. Pennell also leaves the watermarks from his paper in the image. In the bottom left corner, the viewer can read the word “INGRES,” a brand of paper from this time period. Pennell produced hundreds of lithographs during his career. Many of his lithographs depict the interaction between people and nature. Pennell’s Olympia from the Hill to the River is similar in style to his Temple of Athena Nike, Athens, also in this collection. Both depict famous ruins in Greece and are shown from an unexpected angle. The use of light and shadow helps bring the main feature to the fore. These lithographs also have the same type of texture, rarely found in lithographs. Pennell first drew the image and then transferred it to the stone instead of drawing directly onto the stone. He also was known to ‘texturize’ the paper before starting the lithographic process, by first sketching the image on the paper, to define certain areas with the appropriate textures.
Amy Pivovarnik
Joseph Pennell Olympia from the Hill to the River Lithograph 18 x16 in. 1913 Signatures found at bottom left corner and bottom center Acc. No. 1985.05