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The John Knox House

William Renison

1917

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Early Modern

Dominant colour

The John Knox House is a 1917 ink by William Renison, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: William Renison
When & what style?: 1917
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This black-and-white print shows a narrow street with old, crooked buildings. The center building has a sign reading "Knox’s Temperance Hotel," with smaller signs advertising lodgings and a restaurant. A horse-drawn carriage is parked near a streetlamp, and a few people sit on a bench in the foreground. The artist used lines and shading to create depth, focusing on the textures of brick and wood. The scene feels quiet, almost like a snapshot of daily life in the past. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this one carve images into metal.