Clifford's Inn Hall 1907

Joseph Pennell created the etching "Clifford's Inn Hall" in 1906, and it now resides in the Art Institute of Chicago. Pennell was an American expatriate, and his work often depicted European subjects. This etching captures a historic legal institution in London. Clifford's Inn, one of the Inns of Chancery, played a vital role in the training of lawyers in England. Notice the gothic windows, signs of an older architectural style. How might the artist have felt about modern life encroaching on tradition? The Inns of Court and Chancery were historically exclusive, and the architecture was intended to convey their power and authority. Understanding this image fully requires research into the history of legal institutions, class structures, and urban change in Edwardian England. Art history relies on this interdisciplinary approach to reveal the complex relationships between art and society.