Venice at Work 1911

Editor: This is Joseph Pennell’s "Venice at Work," an etching from 1911 currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The stark lines and heavy industrial subject matter feel so different from the Venice I imagine! How do you interpret this work? Curator: Pennell gives us a powerful industrial scene. Notice how the towering crane and plumes of smoke dwarf the cityscape in the distance. He seems less interested in capturing Venice’s famed beauty and more fascinated by its industry. Do you see any particular symbols resonating here? Editor: Well, the crane itself feels almost like a modern interpretation of a religious icon – a kind of "new god" of progress, maybe? Curator: That's insightful. Think of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Machine Age was rapidly changing life, so artists reflected it through subject, but also in symbolic language. Venice, usually portrayed serenely, is reborn through industrious representation here, almost as if it is being re-engineered through these hard geometries. How does it sit with you, knowing the romantic reputation of Venice? Editor: It definitely complicates my understanding. Seeing Venice rendered in this way forces me to reconsider its identity. Perhaps the constant romanticizing obscures another equally important narrative about its work, its survival and grit. Curator: Exactly. Pennell's Venice connects to a bigger story of change and negotiation of values, echoing debates still relevant today. Next time you look at a pretty picture of Venice, remember also its symbolic work! Editor: I'll definitely view images of Venice through a different lens from now on. Thank you for opening my eyes to all this symbolism.