Evening star., 1926-04-29
THE NORTH WINDOW


Joseph Renneli lS ucau, 'Ouc VI IHo
most striking personalities in the
world Of art has passed. Essentially
an original man, Joseph Pennell was,
a genuine artist. The love Of art diA
rected and dominated his life. He could
no more withstand its influence than
can q tree the force OF the wind, nor
would he have wished to. 1t was love
Of art which induced his life pursuit
Of beauty--beauty not merely in the
things which the world calls beautiful.
but In the commonplace. in the world
| Of business, the world OF industry-in
| short, modern life.
Like many great men, he was in
onsistent--delightfull inconsistent.
While finding beauty and significance
liz the most striking products OF
| modernism, such as the building OF
the Panama Canal and the skyscrap.
ers OF lower New York, he hated and
vigorously protested against all in
roads Of modernism in cotemporary
life, the complexities OF cotemporary
| living. In his autobiography he de-
| clared the present time out OF joint.
and held up the customs OF his Quaker
boyhood as living of the right sort.
He was extremely temperamental,
| outspoken, bold in protestation. but
quick to admit the fact when in error,
| and never one who treasured resent
ment. BY nature uncommonly sensi.
tive, as an artist peculiarly high
| strung. he must have been continually
| rasped by displeasing sights and occur
| rences. His bark was always, how.
| ever. much f1ercer than his bite. At
heart Joseph Pennell was as gentle
and kindly as q child, and many were
his generous acts unpublished.
| y st = y
One time. not many years ago, Mr..
| Pennell visited a school on the out.
skirts Of Memphis, and was induced to
give a talk on etching to the children
| Of the upper grades. Shortly after
his return to New York he received
a letter from one of the little girls
in the school, explaining that they
had formed an art collectors club
had had an entertainment to raise
money and had determined to spend
the proceeds in the purchase Of a
number Of his etchings. Please find
enclosed" she wrote. "a check for
$34.00, which you will please cash
in etchings." This much Of the story
Mr.. Pennell told himself. The rest
was learned from a friend in Mem.
phis. The number Of etchings by Mr..
Pennelly which that check bought
was eight. and they were among the
| very best.
There probably is no artist who ever
i had q fuller. more adventurous, hap
pier life than Joseph Pennell. Sue.
cess came to him early. The early
years Of his married life. spent in
wandering about Europe, first on a
tricycle.. then by other means of con.
veyance, with Mrs. Pennell, etching
cathedrals and other splendid monu-
ments OF architecture for the Century
constitute a record of travel and de-
light seldom equaled. He told Of 1t
himself in his autobiography. late
ly published; Mrs. Pennell has writ.
ten Of II from time to time, and espe-
cially delightfully."- in her book entitled
Nights" which deals not so much
with scenes as with people, Of com.
radeship with other artists.
Joseph Pennell was Whistler's
chosen biographer. He also was the
friend and confldant Of the leading
men Of intelligence and intellectual
attainment in art and letters in Lon.
don and in Paris in Whistler's time.
He was a good listener as well as an
interesting conversationalist. Who
that knew Joseph Pennel can ever
forget the enthusiasm he brought to
bear on collecting and later on ar
ranging for presentation the amazing
collection Of Whistleriana given by
himself and Mrs. Pennell to the
Library Of Congress? He had gift
for riendship-friendship which never
took into account personal effort or
inconvenience.
4 + = Il
Mr.. Pennell began as an illustrator,
l Nd nh rkS ho
trated were r. Marion Crawford
George w. Cable, Henry James,
George Bernard Shaw and ii. G..
Wells OF all our American artists
none was better known abroad. His
works are included In the leading for.
eign art collections, and from time to
time they were exhibited in the Lux.
embourg in Paris, the Uffizi Gallery.
Florence: the Gallery Of Modern Art,
Venice; the British and South Ken
sington Museums, London. and the
museums in Berlin, Dresden, Buda.
pest. Melbourne and Adelaide, Aus
tralia. Many were his awards. such
as q first-class gold medal at the Paris
exposition in 1900. the Grand Prix at
the st. Louis exposition in 1904 and at
Milan in 1906. He was at one time a
lecturer on illustration at the Slade
School OF Art, London, and at the
Royal College Of Art. South Kensing
ton. In recent years he had had a
class in etching at the Art Students
League, New York.
He was a most accomplished crafts
man. as we'll as technician. and he did
much to encourage q proper printing
of etched plates. He was one of the
founders Of the Serefelder Club OF
London, which helped to revive the
| - xxf nh n or
time its president. He was a fellow
Of the American Academy of Arts anG
Letters and a member Of the National
Institute of Arts and Letters. Ht
was national academician. He wa:
} endlessly active and unremittingly
energetic, spending and being spen
in the cause of the graphic arts.
y y n
The last 10 years Of his life have
mostly been spent in Brooklyn. Th'
apartment which he and Mrs. Pen
nell occupied in the Hotel Margare
overlooked New York Harbor, and hi:
enthusiasm and enjoyment Of thi
magnificent, changing scene was
boundless. It found expression in {
series of water colors, some. of which
have lately been shown in the Dun
thorne Gallery in this city. WaymaI
Adams painted Mrs. Pennell and him
self before the window with the seen,
he loved beyond.
How interesting 1t is TO remembel
that in the art Of Joseph Pennell thos,
things which were huge and tina
which was most delicate and refined
were in conjunction! Not only did hi
| draw and etch the great cathedrals Of
Europe, but the skyscrapers Of New
York, the steel foundries of Pitts
burgh, the Industrial war activities
I the great shipyards, the ammunition
|. factories, and always with extreme
delicacy Of touch, strength and refine
ment.
One time he went all the way &
Greece to make q series Of nthograph
of the Greek teYnnloE hecaOse some one