Cutting and Turning a Big Gun 1916

This is Joseph Pennell's print capturing the manufacturing of a large gun. Here we see the raw power of industry embodied in the phallic form of the cannon. This is a symbol of masculine aggression and technological prowess. The cannon, a modern-day Minotaur, demands constant labor and innovation. Consider how the cannon's form echoes ancient weapons. The spear, the arrow, all designed to pierce and penetrate. The aggressive, penetrating nature of these weapons carries through millennia, resurfacing in the technology of Pennell's time. Just like the hero Theseus who entered the Labyrinth, there is a man on top of the cannon. He is both a representation of human control over machines and a symbol of human vulnerability in the face of destructive power. This print serves as a stark reminder of our cyclical history, where symbols of power and destruction are constantly reborn, adapted, and wielded in new and terrifying ways.