Making a Turbine Engine

Making a Turbine Engine

Joseph Pennell

1917

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a crowded workshop filled with machinery and workers. The space is packed with gears, pipes, and tools, all drawn in quick, rough lines. A large engine sits in the center, surrounded by people who seem to be assembling or fixing it. The artist used loose, sketchy strokes to capture the energy of the room. It feels like a snapshot of industry in motion, even though it’s just a drawing. Next, check out how this was made using lithography.

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