Norwinstow Church 1897

Curator: This is Joseph Pennell’s "Norwinstow Church," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels like a dreamscape; ethereal, almost like it's fading. The tonality is all very close, like a memory being sketched. Curator: Pennell, born in 1857, was a master of etching and lithography, often depicting architectural subjects. Here, the church becomes a symbol of enduring faith against a somewhat turbulent sky. Editor: I'm curious about the printmaking process itself. What kind of plate did he use, and how did that influence the texture of the lines? The way he renders the stone feels very specific to the etching medium. Curator: Indeed, the etched lines lend a sense of depth and history to the scene, recalling the weight of tradition. It shows the church not only as a building, but as a repository of communal memory. Editor: It really makes you think about the labor involved in creating prints like these back then, the craft and skill that went into each impression. Curator: Precisely. Pennell allows us to contemplate both the physical church and its symbolic resonance. Editor: I'll never look at an etching the same way again, considering both the spiritual and material aspects.