Le Puy, Third Plate 1894

Joseph Pennell created this etching, "Le Puy, Third Plate," sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Pennell was an American expatriate artist who lived in London and was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement. This image depicts the town of Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne region of France. The town is known for its dramatic volcanic rock formations, on top of which sit religious monuments. Pennell’s print emphasizes the picturesque qualities of the town, which can also be seen in the text at the bottom of the plate that reads: “most picturesque place in the world”. The Arts and Crafts movement was concerned with preserving traditional craft skills in the face of industrialization. Pennell’s choice of etching, a traditional printmaking technique, and his focus on the picturesque qualities of a pre-industrial town, suggest a nostalgia for a pre-industrial way of life. To learn more, one might explore the archives of the Art Institute of Chicago, read Pennell’s writings, and study the history of the Arts and Crafts movement. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.