Quarry at Girgenti 1913

Joseph Pennell created this etching titled 'Quarry at Girgenti'. Pennell, born in the United States, made a name for himself as an etcher of architectural and urban scenes, often in Europe. Here, the ancient Greek architecture sits high above the quarry and the surrounding landscape. This contrast might suggest the layers of history embedded in the land. The quarry itself speaks to the labor and extraction that shapes both landscape and society. Pennell, who lived as an expatriate, was part of a generation of artists grappling with questions of national and cultural identity. His choice to depict European subjects reflects a complex negotiation with his own American identity and the allure of European artistic traditions. Consider how the print invites us to reflect on the relationship between culture and nature, and the ways in which both are shaped by human activity.