Nov 02, 2023 - Sale 2651

Sale 2651 - Lot 236

Price Realized: $ 9,100
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 10,000 - $ 15,000
MARTIN LEWIS
Little Penthouse.

Drypoint, 1931. 250x173 mm; 9 7/8x6 7/8 inches, wide margins. Edition of 75. Signed in pencil, lower right. A brilliant, richly-inked impression with luminous highlights and with all the fine details distinct.

Among Lewis' (1881-1962) most masterful prints are those depicting scenes of New York City life. These prints have historical interest, as the imagery captures the architecture and urban scenery of the time, while simultaneously incorporating ephemeral moments. The time of day, the weather, the lighting, the viewpoint—each aspect was important and added to the atmosphere of the scene. Lewis' use of shadows and light to create mood, life and movement is most powerful in his New York prints.

Little Penthouse is a celebrated etching, incorporating all of the aspects that make his prints such cherished glimpses into New York's bustling yester-year, while simultaneously capturing the timelessness of city life. McCarron 91.