Lambeth Palace from Westminster 1907

Editor: So, this is Joseph Pennell's "Lambeth Palace from Westminster," an etching from 1907. The delicacy of the lines almost makes it fade into the paper. There's a quietness to it, like a memory. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: The ghostly reflections, definitely. They're like a conversation between the solid architecture and its ephemeral double. It feels like Pennell is asking, what is more real – the tangible structures of power, or their image rippling on the surface of the Thames? And isn’t the city, at its heart, also just an image, something we build and rebuild in our minds? Does the style remind you of someone? Editor: Hmm, the impressionistic touch almost feels Turner-esque in a way, with the muted tones. Curator: Precisely! It is very atmospheric. But beyond that, consider the social climate. Pennell was an American artist deeply engaged with Europe at a time when American artists felt a pull to engage with tradition while forging their own identity. Editor: I never thought about that tension, trying to break away but still referencing the past. Curator: Exactly! Look at the industry on the river – that would have been very much part of what daily life was like. Pennell immortalized this, knowing these industries wouldn't stay this way forever, Editor: It’s amazing to think about what remains and what has changed over a century. Curator: It does give the image added depth. Now I think about the image in front of us today, perhaps Pennell succeeded.