Artwork
Building the Freidrich-Strasse Station
Building the Freidrich-Strasse Station is an ink print by Joseph Pennell. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Joseph Pennell’s 1921 lithograph, *Building the Friedrich‑Straße Station*, captures a bustling urban construction site. The composition centers on a partially erected railway station, surrounded by workers, machinery, and a crowd moving along the adjacent sidewalk, while spired buildings frame the scene and boats drift on the water to the right.
Subject & Meaning
The image juxtaposes historic architecture with contemporary industrial activity, highlighting the tension between tradition and modernization in early‑twentieth‑century Berlin. By depicting the station’s skeletal framework amid everyday city life, Pennell emphasizes the transformative impact of new infrastructure on the urban landscape.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the work relies on loose, sketch‑like lines that convey immediacy, as if the viewer is witnessing a fleeting moment of construction. Pennell’s handling of tone and texture suggests both the solidity of the existing buildings and the provisional nature of the building site, reinforcing the theme of rapid progress.
History & Provenance
Pennell, an American draftsman who spent much of his career in Europe, produced the print after extensive study with James Lambdin, Thomas Eakins, and the influence of James McNeill Whistler. The lithograph was created during a period when he frequently collaborated with his wife, writer Elizabeth Robins, on art criticism and related publications.
Context
The early 1920s marked a phase of extensive rebuilding and modernization in German cities following World War I. Pennell’s focus on industrial subjects reflects a broader artistic interest in documenting the changing built environment and the rise of rail transport as a symbol of modernity.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Pennell (July 4, 1857 – April 23, 1926) was an American draftsman, etcher, lithographer, and illustrator for books and magazines.
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