Millbank 1903

This is Joseph Pennell's etching titled 'Millbank'. Pennell was an American expatriate artist, part of a transatlantic art world that sought to capture the spirit of modern life. He produced this work in an etching - a medium closely associated with the rise of print culture. The scene depicts a gritty view of London's industrial landscape. In the foreground, boats are pulled up on the shore, while the cityscape is visible through a haze of pollution. Notice how the artist uses the etching to convey the textures of the urban environment. Look at the way he represents the industrial buildings and smoking chimney in the background. This contrasts with the boats in the foreground that appear aged and worn. By evoking this image, Pennell comments on the changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Art history can help us understand this work in its original context, using documents from the artist and writings from the period. These shed light on the values that shape artistic production. Only then can we understand art as a product of social and institutional forces.