1915
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Big Mill, Gary, Indiana is a 1915 ink by Joseph Pennell, depicting Coal, held at National Gallery of Art.
This lithograph shows a huge wooden mill in Gary, Indiana, with smokestacks puffing. The building looks solid and heavy, yet the smoke dissolves into the sky. Pennell used sharp lines to make every nail and board feel real. Lithography was new then. Artists drew on stone with greasy crayons, then pressed paper onto it. The prints came out reversed, like looking in a mirror. Compare this to Pennell’s other city scenes. See more 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.
See the richer artist page
