1916
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Made in Germany, the Great Crane is a 1916 ink by Joseph Pennell, depicting Crane, held at National Gallery of Art.
You see a tall, graceful crane standing in a shallow pool of water. The bird’s long neck arches over its body. It faces left, with one leg lifted, as if mid-step. This isn’t a photo. It’s a lithograph—a print made with greasy ink on stone. The artist drew on limestone, then pressed paper onto it. The lines stay sharp and clean, even in the feather details. Lithography was new at the time. Try it yourself next time you’re at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Joseph Pennell (July 4, 1857 – April 23, 1926) was an American draftsman, etcher, lithographer, and illustrator for books and magazines.
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