Fonte Nuova 1883

Joseph Pennell made this print, Fonte Nuova, using etching techniques. The subject is a building in Italy, likely made during his travels in Europe. Pennell was an American expatriate, part of a large movement of artists and writers who felt that the United States lacked the history and culture of Europe. They sought an escape from what they saw as the crude materialism of American life. In that light, we can understand Pennell’s choice of subject as a longing for the picturesque qualities of the old world. The image uses a high vantage point, typical of a tourist's gaze. The building appears monumental, an expression of permanence in contrast to the modern developments back home. As historians, we understand that our interpretations rely on a network of sources: letters, exhibition reviews, biographies, and so on. When we put them together, these sources can help us understand what art meant to the people who made and saw it.