At the Bottom of Gatun Lock

Joseph Pennell

Lithograph

National Gallery of Art

This striking lithograph captures the monumental construction of the Panama Canal's Gatun Lock, where workers labored at the bottom of massive concrete chambers that would raise ships 85 feet to Gatun Lake. Created during Joseph Pennell's three-month expedition to Panama in early 1912, the print exemplifies his mastery of industrial subjects and his ability to convey the overwhelming scale of human engineering achievements. Pennell, often called the 'Dean of American Printmaking,' was a prolific Philadelphia-born artist who produced over 1800 prints during his career and was deeply influenced by his friendship with James McNeill Whistler. This work is part of his celebrated Panama Canal series, which documented one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century just before its completion.