Joseph Webb was only twenty years old and still a student when he etched his masterpiece, Rat Barn, in 1928. The print was exhibited to considerable acclaim at the Royal Academy show of 1929, whilst in the following year Webb was elected to the Society of Painter-Etchers. Like Drury and Sutherland, he was initially influenced by the etchings of Samuel Palmer and also moved for a time in the orbit of F.L.Griggs, who helped him technically. Webb's vision however was entirely distinct. Based on his deep and mystical religious feelings and a sense of awe in the face of ancient buildings, his two finest plates, Rat Barn (named for the motif of the weather-vane) and Dream Barn are full of power and drama. Though only small in size, the brooding and grandly monumental feel of these etchings seems to owe more to the Roman architectural fantasies of Piranesi than to the quiet idylls of Palmer.