MARTIN LEWIS (AMERICAN 1881-1962) "STOOPS IN THE SNOW"

1930. Edition of 115. Pencil signed 'Martin Lewis' bottom right, McCarron's second (and final) state, drypoint and sandpaper ground on wove paper
Plate size: 9 3/4 x 14 3/4 in. (24.8 x 37.5cm)
Sheet size: 13 7/16 x 18 7/16 in. (34.1 x 46.8cm)
[McCarron 89]

Provenance: Collection of Jeffrey M. Kaplan, Washington, D.C.
NOTE:
The present lot is an important print from Lewis's œuvre, which garnered considerable acclaim when released. A nostalgic look into New York's lively past, the work depicts some of the city's historical town houses blanketed in the snow, as well as a vignette of its inhabitants battling the elements. Originally entitled "Stoops in the Snow - West Forties," the scene appears to take place in Midtown Manhattan. The composition of the street stretching through the center of the image directs the viewer's eye into the scene. Flurries of snow are clearly visible through the delicate use of burnishing and sand-ground, complementary to the heavy mounds of white snow on the pavement, stairs and bodies of the hunched figures walking by. The stark contrasts of black and white demonstrate the artist's masterful representation of light and shadow, and add to the ephemeral and dramatic depiction of the moment.