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Building New York, 7th Avenue

Joseph Pennell

Unframed size: Not available

$1,295.00

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About the work

Joseph Pennell’s hundreds of etchings include countless cityscapes, including many portraying New York City. This print is unique, though, in its frank portrayal of the Jewish presence in New York—or at least on Seventh Avenue. At first look the work seems to celebrate the growing Jewish community, with a street filled with Jewish businesses and a billboard supporting “Sam Straus for Judge” and “Moses for Judge”. But it is impossible to view this picture without considering Pennell’s infamous book, “The Jew at Home,” which he wrote and illustrated in 1892. In the preface, Pennell states that he is neither a Jew hater nor a Jew lover. But there is little in this book to support that contention; as Pennell writes, “I can sympathize with the oppressed Jews of Russia, and also with the Hungarians who are thoroughly sick of those they already have, and who are doing all they can to keep from importing any more. And here I should like to bring forward some rather curious facts which have been very cleverly ignored. The Russians who have got the Jews in their own territory are going to get rid of them. The Turks have made laws refusing to receive them. And Germany and Austria-Hungary are loudly calling upon the rest of the world to take up collections to prevent their settling in either empire.” To what extent does this book describe Pennell’s views more than 40 years later?

One of approximately forty proofs created by the Artist. No edition was published. The plate is held in the collection at the Library of Congress, the artist’s primary repository. An impression of this work is held by the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Accession No. P.12,123).

Unframed. Please inquire if you wish to have the work framed.