Martin Lewis was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia, on June 7th, 1881. He was the second of eight children and had a passion for drawing.
At the age of 15, Lewis left home and traveled in New South Wales, Australia, and in New Zealand, working as a pothole digger and a merchant seaman. He returned to Sydney and settled into a Bohemian community outside Sydney. Two of his drawings were published in the radical Sydney newspaper, The Bulletin. He studied with Julian Ashton at the Art Society's School in Sydney. Ashton was an English-born Australian artist and teacher known for his support of the Heidelberg School and for his influential art school in Sydney.
In 1900, Lewis left Australia for the United States. His first job was in San Francisco, painting stage decorations for William McKinley's presidential campaign of 1900. By 1909, Lewis was living in New York, where he found work in commercial illustration. His earliest known etching is dated 1915. However, the level of skill in this piece suggests he had been working in the medium for some time previously. It was during this period that he helped Edward Hopper learn the basics of etching.
In 1920, after the breakup of a romance, Lewis traveled to Japan, where for two years he drew and painted and studied Japanese art. The influence of Japanese prints is very evident in Lewis's prints after that period. In 1925, he returned to etching and produced most of his well-known works between 1925 and 1935. Lewis's first solo exhibition in 1929 was successful enough for him to give up commercial work and concentrate entirely on printmaking.
Lewis is most famous for his black and white prints, mostly of night scenes of non-tourist, real-life street scenes of New York City. During the Depression, however, he was forced to leave the city for four years between 1932 and 1936 and move to Newtown, Connecticut. His work from this period includes a number of rural, night-time, and winter landscape scenes in this area.
Lewis returned to Manhattan in 1936 and continued to etch and paint. He taught printmaking at the Art Students League of New York from 1944 until his retirement in 1952. Now he is considered one of the most important American printmakers of the twentieth century.
Find original Martin Lewis prints and other art on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Allinson Gallery, Inc.)
'Little Penthouse' — American Realism, Signed Drypoint, Rare Artist-Printed
By Martin Lewis
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Martin Lewis, 'Little Penthouse,' drypoint, edition 84 (including 9 proofs), 1931. McCarron 91. Signed in pencil 'Martin Lewis imp.' Annotated, 'proof on Dard Hunter paper: “Peter Mu...
Drypoint
Martin Lewis Original Etching, 1927 - “Shadows on the Ramp”
By Martin Lewis
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Original etching with drypoint in mint condition by well-known New York artist and printmaker Martin Lewis (1881-1962). The print is signed in pencil lower right. The title is: “Sha...
Paper
Martin Lewis Original Etching, 1928 - “Rain on Murray Hill”
By Martin Lewis
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Original drypoint in mint condition printed in greenish black ink on wove paper by well-known New York artist and printmaker Martin Lewis (1881-1962). The print is signed in pencil ...
Paper
Spring Night Greenwich Village
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Spring Night, Greenwich Village--1930, Drypoint and Sand Ground.McCarron 85, only state. Edition 92. Signed in pencil. Signed in the plate, lower rig...
Drypoint
"Under the Street Lamp" Imp. Etching
By Martin Lewis
Located in Houston, TX
Copperplate etching by Martin Lewis titled "Under the Street Lamp." Edition of 100. Printed on laid paper with watermark and 83 recorded impressions. McCarron catalogue raisonne #70. Signed in pencil with "imp" next to the signature. In the bottom right corner is a penciled 75 and in the top right corner is a 50. The etching is framed and was taken out of the frame for condition report and photographs. The gallery label is on the back of the matte inside the frame. Dimensions without Frame: H 15 in x W 9.5 in. Artist Biography: Martin Lewis (1881-1962) was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia on 7 June 1881. He was the second of eight children and had a passion for drawing. At the age of 15, he left home and traveled in New South Wales, Australia, and in New Zealand, working as a pothole digger and a merchant seaman. He returned to Sydney and settled into a Bohemian community outside Sydney. Two of his drawings were published in the radical Sydney newspaper, The Bulletin. He studied with Julian Ashton at the Art Society's School in Sydney. Ashton, an English-born Australian artist and teacher, known for his support of the Heidelberg School and for his influential art school in Sydney. In 1900, Lewis left Australia for the United States. His first job was in San Francisco, painting stage decorations...
Etching, Laid Paper
Little Penthouse
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis (1881-1962), Little Penthouse, drypoint, 1931, signed in pencil lower right [signed in the plate in a rectangle lower left]. Reference: McCarron 91, only state. Printed ...
Drypoint
"Which Way?" Martin Lewis, Atmospheric, Snowy 1930s Setting, Outdoor Scene
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis Which Way?, 1932 Signed lower right Aquatint etching on pale blue paper Plate 10 1/4 x 15 3/4 inches Sheet 14 1/4 x 19 1/2 inches Edition of approximately 53 Provenance...
Paper, Etching
Street Booth, Tokyo, New Year's Eve
By Martin Lewis
Located in Middletown, NY
A superb impression of Martin Lewis's consummate image of Japan. Etching with drypoint on fine cream laid paper, 13 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches (352 x 265 mm); sheet 17 3/4 x 14 1/4 inches ...
Handmade Paper, Laid Paper, Drypoint, Etching
QUARTER OF NINE - SATURDAY'S CHILDREN
By Martin Lewis
Located in Portland, ME
Lewis, Martin (American, born Australia, 1881-1962). QUARTER OF NINE, SATURDAY'S CHILDREN. McCarron 79. Drypoint, 1929. McCarron says the intended edition was 100 , but 107 were prin...
Drypoint
Barns in the Helderberg, New York (rural 1930s American scene with vintage car)
By Martin Lewis
Located in New Orleans, LA
"Barns in the Helderberg, New York" by Martin Lewis shows neighbors (one in a Model T car) visiting outside a series of barns with a tree in the background...
Chalk, Charcoal
Building a Babylon, Tudor City, NY.
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
McCarron 76. 12 7/8 x 7 7/8 (sheet 16 5/8 x 12 1/4). 6th trial proof (McCarron records 84 impressions including 4 trial proofs). Illustrated L'Amérique de la Dépression: Artistes En...
Drypoint, Etching
'Tree, Manhattan' — American Realism, Signed Drypoint, 1930
By Martin Lewis
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Martin Lewis, 'Tree, Manhattan', drypoint, 1930, edition 91 (including 10 trial proofs), McCarron 87. Signed in pencil. A superb, atmospheric impression, in warm black ink, on cream...
Drypoint
White Monday
By Martin Lewis
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Signed in the plate lower left Note: Printed on September 26, 1980 in an edition of 4 restrikes. Reference: Paul McCarron, The Prints of Martin Lewis: A Catalogue Raisonne (Bro...
Drypoint
Martin Lewis 20th Century Master Printmaker, Etching, 1932 "White Monday"
By Martin Lewis
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Original drypoint etching and aquatint in mint condition by well-known artist and printmaker Martin Lewis, (1881-1962) The print has full margins with deckle edges and is signed in p...
Paper
Rainy Day, Queens
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis (1881-1962), Rainy Day, Queens, drypoint, 1931, signed in pencil lower right [also signed in the plate lower right]. Reference: McCarron 94, only state, from the edition...
Drypoint
Break in the Thunderstorm
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis (1881-1962, Break in the Thunderstorm, drypoint, 1930, signed and titled in pencil (also signed in the plate in a rectangle lower left). Reference: McCarron 86, second s...
Drypoint
ICE CREAM CONES
By Martin Lewis
Located in Portland, ME
Lewis, Martim (American, born Australia, 1881-1962). ICE CREAM CONES. McCarron 78. Drypoint, 1928. Edition of 75, of which only 70 were printed. Signed in pencil, lower right. 9 3/4 ...
Drypoint
Shadows, Garage at Night
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis (1881-1962, Shadows, Garage at Night, drypoint, 1928, signed in pencil lower right [also signed in the plate lower right]. Reference: McCarron 69, only state, from the t...
Drypoint
Tree, Manhattan
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis (1881-1962), Tree, Manhattan, drypoint, 1930, signed in pencil lower right [also signed in the plate lower left]. Reference: McCarron 87, only state; 91 recorded impress...
Drypoint
Quarter of Nine, Saturday's Children.
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
Quarter of Nine, Saturday's Children. 1929. Drypoint. McCarron 78. 9 3/4 x 12 3/4 (sheet 12 7/8 x 17 7/8). Illustrated: American Etchers: Martin Lewis. Edition 107. A fine impression...
Drypoint, Etching
H 20 in W 16 in D 0.25 in
"Enshoku Sanju-roku Kasen" (Thirty-six Enchanting Flowers) Woodblock on paper
By Toyohara Kunichika
Located in Soquel, CA
"Enshoku Sanju-roku Kasen" (Thirty-six Enchanting Flowers) Woodblock on paper Elegant woodblock print by Toyohara Kunuchika (Japanese, 1835-1900). Three women are in talking with each other inside, while a man waits outside holding a bag of some kind. The colors in this piece are rich and saturated, primarily blues, greens, and purple. Mat size: 16"H x 20"W Paper size: 14.75"H x 9.88"W Born in 1835, Toyohara Kunichika grew up in the Kyobashi district of Edo in the midst of merchants and artisans. In 1848, at age 13, he was accepted as an apprentice into the studio of Utagawa Kunisada I...
Ink, Rice Paper, Woodcut
H 9.06 in W 9.18 in D 0.04 in
Sexual Encounter - Etching ad Drypoint by A. Doré - Late 1900
By Amandine Doré
Located in Roma, IT
Sexual Encounter is a beautiful drypoint made by the French painter, illustrator, and writer Amandine Doré in the second half of the 20th century. The st...
Drypoint, Etching
H 18.5 in W 13 in D 0.01 in
Some of 48 Tulips
By Gatja Helgart Rothe
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Some of the 48 Tulips" c.1990 is an original colors mezzotint by noted German/American artist Gatja Helgart Rothe, 1935-2007. It is hand signed, titled and numbe...
Mezzotint
H 5.12 in W 5.79 in
A Wooded River Landscape; Entry into the Wood
By Anthonie Waterloo
Located in Middletown, NY
A magnificent forest scene with lush, vast foliage along a brook by a master of the Dutch Golden Age. Amsterdam: c1650. Etching on cream laid paper, 5 1/8 x 5 3/4 inches (130 x 147 ...
Laid Paper, Etching
H 11.74 in W 8.04 in
The Flight into Egypt
By Hans Lautensack
Located in Middletown, NY
Etching on handmade cream laid paper with a deckle edge, and an elaborate and large watermark of a crowned figure with a harp, and letters A S, 11 3/4 x 8 inches (298 x 204 mm); shee...
Handmade Paper, Laid Paper, Etching
H 39.38 in W 24.02 in
1945 travel poster by L. F. Dominique - SNCF Ile de France
Located in PARIS, FR
This charming 1945 travel poster by L. F. Dominique was created to promote tourism in the Île-de-France, the cultural and historical heart of the country. Produced for the French nat...
Linen, Paper, Lithograph
H 12.21 in W 7.8 in D 0.04 in
Erotic Scene - Etching ad Drypoint by A. Doré -1950s
By Amandine Doré
Located in Roma, IT
Erotic Scene is a fun and pleasant drypoint realized by the French painter, illustrator, and writer Amandine Doré around the mid-20th century. The state...
Drypoint, Etching
H 6.13 in W 9.75 in
Le Cours La Reine, from the series Rouen Illustré
By Maxime Lalanne
Located in Middletown, NY
Paris: A. Salmon, 1883. Etching with engraving on white laid paper, 6 1/8 x 9 3/4 inches (156 x 247 mm); sheet 9 1/4 x 12 1/2 inches (235 x 318 mm), full margins. In very good condi...
Laid Paper, Etching, Engraving
H 4.25 in W 5.38 in D 2 in
The Bathers ("De Zwemmertjes")
By Rembrandt van Rijn
Located in New York, NY
Etching and drypoint on laid paper, 1651. New Hollstein's third, and final, state. Full sheet size 5.38 x6.5 inches. Frame size 14.25 x 16.75 inches. Catalogue raisonné references...
Drypoint, Etching
H 4.3 in W 5.79 in
Fording a River (Le gue)
By Alphonse Legros
Located in Middletown, NY
Etching on cream laid watermarked Finch 1794 paper, 4 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches (109 x 147 mm); sheet 6 1/2 x 9 inches (165 x 229 mm), full margins. Signed and titled in pencil in the lower...
Handmade Paper, Etching, Laid Paper
H 4 in W 6.5 in
Château de Chaumont
By Maxime Lalanne
Located in Middletown, NY
Etching with drypoint on cream laid paper 4 x 6 1/2 inches (102 x 166 mm); sheet 5 1/8 x 7 5/8 inches (130 x 194 mm), full margins with a deckle edge. In good condition with light ye...
Laid Paper, Drypoint, Etching
H 17.25 in W 21.25 in D 0.75 in
Winter Tracery (Milford Connecticut)
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled 'Winter Tracery (Milford Connecticut)" is an original drypoint etching by noted American artist Philip Kappel, 1901-1981. It is hand signed and titled in pencil by the artist. The plate mark (Image) size is 9 x 12 inches, framed size is 17.25 x 21.25 inches. Custom framed in a wooden light grey frame, with light grey matting and black color fillet. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Philip Kappel — painter, illustrator, printer, writer, and lecturer — was born on February 10, 1901 in Hartford, CT and died in 1981. Kappel is best remembered for his landscapes, portraits, figures, marine, lithography, and etching. He held a teaching position with H. B. Snell, Boothbay, ME Studios, 1923 and 1924. His addresses in 1929 were 500 Fifth Avenue in New York City and, for the summer, care of Philip Little, 10 Chestnut Street, Salem, MA; and in 1935, Sarasota, FL. Kappel was a pupil of the Pratt Institute Art School in Brooklyn, NY and Philip Little (1857-1942) and held memberships with the North Shore Artists Association in Gloucester, MA; the Marblehead...
Drypoint, Etching
H 26.5 in W 31.5 in D 1 in
Dock Workers under the Brooklyn Bridge
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
Martin Lewis, N.A. (Dock Workers under the Brooklyn Bridge). c. 1916-18. Aquatint and etching. McCarron 15. 17 3/4 x 23 3/4 (sheet 26 x 31). 5 recorde...
Etching, Aquatint
H 16 in W 20 in D 1 in
Shadows -- Garage at Night
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
Shadows -- Garage at Night. c. 1928. Conte crayon drawing. Study for the drypoint, McCarron 69. 10 1/8 x 12 3/4 (the drypoint measures 9 7/8 x 11 7/8). The drypoint is illustrated in...
Crayon
H 18.75 in W 14.75 in D 1 in
The Great Shadow
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
The Great Shadow. 1925. Drypoint. McCarron 44. 9 7/8 x 7 inches (sheet 13 3/4 x 10 1/4). Edition of 86 recorded impressions (intended edition 100). A superb impression with carefully...
Drypoint, Etching
H 20 in W 16 in
CHANCE MEETING
By Martin Lewis
Located in Portland, ME
Lewis, Martin. CHANCE MEETING. McCarron 131. Drypoint, 1940-41. Edition of 105. Signed in pencil, lower right. 10 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches, 265 x 188 mm. In excellent condition.
Drypoint
H 11.38 in W 13.38 in D 0.94 in
Oncoming Rain
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis created the copper plate for "Oncoming Rain" in 1929 using drypoint and sand ground techniques. The intended edition size was 50 impressions but only 19 have been record...
Drypoint
H 19.5 in W 24 in D 1 in
Down to the Sea.
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Martin Lewis created the copper plate for "Down to the Sea" in 1929, using drypoint and sand ground techniques. The edition size is listed as 75 impressions but only 65 have been re...
Drypoint
H 23 in W 25 in D 1 in
Strength and Beauty.
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
This drypoint with sand ground by Martin Lewis was created in 1937. It is signed, lower right, in pencil. The printed image size is 10 7/8 x 13" (27.5 x 33 cm). Edition unknown wi...
Drypoint
H 17.75 in W 18.5 in D 0.5 in
Politics
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
Politics. 1936. Drypoint and sand ground. McCarron catalog 118 state ii. 9 3/4 x 10 5/8 (sheet 13 7/8 x 15). Trial proof 10, edition 27 (including 11 trial proofs). McCarron cites this impression to describe the second state. A rich, tonal impression printed on 'FJ Head & Co' cream wove paper with full margins. Provenance: estate of Delores D. Di Paola. Signed and annotated 'trial proof 10' in pencil. Housed in a subtle 17 3/4 x 18 1/2-inch silver-gold modern frame that enhances the tonality of the evening sky. The scene is Kent Hollow, a valley in the Appalachian Mountains in the town of Kent in Litchfield County, Connecticut. It is situated in the upper reaches of the West Aspetuck River, one of the cleanest rivers in Southern New England. Martin Lewis (1881–1962) was born in Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia on 7 June 1881. He was the second of eight children and had a passion for drawing. At the age of 15, he left home and traveled in New South Wales, Australia, and in New Zealand, working as a pothole digger and a merchant seaman. He returned to Sydney and settled into a Bohemian community outside Sydney. Two of his drawings were published in the radical Sydney newspaper, The Bulletin. He studied with Julian Ashton at the Art Society's School in Sydney. Ashton, a famous painter, was also one of the first Australian artists to take up printmaking. In 1900, Lewis left Australia for the United States. His first job was in San Francisco, painting stage decorations...
Drypoint
H 7.88 in W 11.75 in D 0.5 in
Trade Winds
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
McCarron catalog number 25. Image: 7 7/8 x 11 3/4. Sheet 12 x 15 1/4. Edition of 22 recorded impressions (intended edition 50). A rich impression with drypoint burr printed on cr...
H 21 in W 17 in D 2 in
Arc Welders at Night.
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Printed on light blue paper. This original print by Martin Lewis was made using drypoint and a sand ground on a copper plate in 1937. The exact edition is unknown - 33 impressions ...
Drypoint
H 20 in W 16 in D 2 in
Sunday Garden Inspection.
By Martin Lewis
Located in Plano, TX
Sunday Garden Inspection. 1927. Drypoint. McCarron catalog 67 state ii. 11 3/4 x 8 (sheet 16 x 11 5/8). Edition of 34 recorded impressions (intended edition 50). A rich, well-inked...
Drypoint, Etching
H 18.38 in W 16 in D 1.5 in
Little Penthouse.
By Martin Lewis
Located in New York, NY
Drypoint, 1931. Signed in pencil. Edition 75, recorded impressions 84. Image size 9 7/8 x 6 13/16" (25.2 x 17.3 cm). McCarron #91. Very good condition. Framed. This print was...
Drypoint