The Institute, Piccadilly 1906

Joseph Pennell made "The Institute, Piccadilly" using etching, a printmaking technique that captures the bustling energy of urban life. Pennell would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratched an image into it with a needle. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink was then applied into these lines, and the plate pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The resulting print bears the marks of its making, where the crispness of the lines, and the depth of the blacks are a product of the artist's skillful manipulation of materials. The appeal of etching lies in its capacity to mass-produce images, mirroring the increasing industrialization and consumer culture of the time. Pennell's choice of this medium reflects the changing landscape of art production, challenging the traditional hierarchy between fine art and more accessible, reproducible forms.