|
 |
Building a Babylon, Tudor City, N.Y. MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint, 1929, McCarron 76, edition 84. 12 3/4 x 7 7/8 in. Signed in pencil, lower right. This is a superb, luminous impression with full margins. The condition is excellent. Tudor City was completed in 1928 as a middle class housing project and became a historic district in 1988. The location is 40th to 43rd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. As McCarron aptly states on page 140 of the catalogue raisonné, "The dripping stains on the embankment were possibly influenced by another print, Charles Meryon's 'La Morgue, Paris,' of 1854. Lewis included Meryon among the etchers he admired..." $8,000 |
|
 |
Wet Saturday MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint, 1929, McCaron 81, edition 72. 9 7/8 x 10 1/2 in. Signed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil. This is a superb impression with full margins. The paper is a fine cream laid and the condition is excellent. SOLD |
|
 |
Under the Street Lamp MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Etching, 1928, McCarron 70, edition 83. 14 7/8 x 9 3/8 in. Signed in the plate, lower right. Signed in pencil. This is a superb impression printed on white laid paper with full margins. The condition is excellent. From the collection of Patricia Lewis with her stamp on the bottom edge of the sheet, verso. SOLD |
|
 |
Quarter of Nine, Saturday's Children MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint, 1929, McCarron 78, edition 107. 9 7/8 x 12 7/8 in. Signed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil, lower right. Also inscribed by the artist,"watakashi no E." This is a superb impression printed on off white laid paper. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. Provenance: Kennedy Galleries (with their label). The scene is 34th Street at Park Avenue, New york. SOLD |
|
 |
Break in the Thunderstorm MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint, 1930, McCarron 86 (ii/II), intended edition of 85. 12 3/8 x 9 7/8 in. Signed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil. This is a superb impression printed on a wove paper with a subtle greenish-blue tint. The margins are full and the condition is exceptionally fine. According to the catalogue, the location is the corner of 34th Street and Park Avenue, near Lewis's studio.
Provenance: Kennedy Galleries, New York (with their label). The McCarron catalogue states 66 recorded impressions including 16 trials. SOLD |
|
 |
Ha'nted MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint and sand ground, 1932, McCarron 100, edition 107. 13 1/4 x 8 7/8 in. Signed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil and inscribed, "to Chas S. White from M.L." This is a superb impression with full margins. The condition is excellent apart from a small speck of printer's ink in the outer right margin. (Note: Charles S. White was the printer for many of Lewis's plates. There is no record that Lewis used any other printer than White throughout his career.) This outstanding, underrated print was done in Sandy Hook, Connecticut where the Lewis family lived in the early 1930s. $11,000 |
|
 |
Corner Shadows MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint and sand ground, 1930, McCarron 83 (ii/II), edition 242. 8 3/8 x 9 in. Signed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil. This is a fine, luminous impression with full margins. The condition is fine apart from two small indiscreet hinges on the verso, top corners. This stellar work is included in at least twenty-five museum collections. This work was commissioned by the Print Club of Cleveland and the preparatory drawings and proofs are now in the Cleveland Museum of Art. The edition was printed by Charles S. White. SOLD |
|
 |
Derricks at Night MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint, 1927, McCarron 62 (i/II); edition 104. 7 7/8 x 11 3/4 in. Signed in the plate, lower right. Signed in pencil. This is a superb impression with full margins. The paper is ARCHES and the condition is excellent. According to McCarron, "'Derricks at Night' is the only Lewis print with such extensive changes between states. The second state was begun two years after he had essentially finished the composition, an exception to Lewis's usual procedure in completing a plate." Both versions are exceptionally fine and a casual glance at museum collections which own this print show an almost equal number of museums own the first or the second states. First state impressions are owned by the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts, among others. This engaging print has a compelling sense of geometry and a single worker walks along on the street at night, conveying the solitude of the evening. $9,000 |
|
 |
Night in New York MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Etching, 1932, McCarron 102, edition 135. 8 3/8 x 8 3/4 in. Signed in the plate, lower right. Signed in pencil. This is a fine, richly inked impression printed with retroussage. This was the presentation print for the Chicago Society of Etchers and their blindstamp appears in the lower left corner of the sheet. The margins are full and the condition is fine. McCarron states, "Retroussage is used to obtain a softer but stronger and richer effect. In this technique the printer drags a cloth, preferably muslin, over the already inked lines of a heated plate in order to raise the ink, making it spread over both edges of the etched lines." This edition was printed by Charles White who was the only other printer Lewis liked. Lewis gave White specific directions: "wipe clean, very clean on window and light foreground - retroussage on background and darks, very little retrossage on pavement and window." SOLD |
|
 |
Ice Cream Cones MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint and sand ground, 1928, McCarron 73, edition 70. 9 3/8 x 14 3/4 in. Signed in the plate lower left. Signed in pencil. (This fine impression was printed by the artist.) The margins are full and the condition is very good. (There's a small, subtle stain to the right of the image in the margin only.) This impression went through Kennedy Galleries as their price code is in pencil on the verso. SOLD |
|
 |
The Roustabout MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Etching with sand ground, 1916, McCarron 14, edition only 6. 8 7/8 x 6 in. Signed in pencil. This is a fine impression of this rare, early work. The margins are full and the condition is fine. (There's a very faint suggestion of toning within an early mat opening.) The bridge in the distance is Manhattan Bridge. This is only one of two images by Lewis where an African American is the primary subject of the print. A roustabout is an itinerant laborer who often works the docks or oil fields. SOLD |
|
 |
Tree Manhattan MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Drypoint, 1930, McCarron 87, edition 91 including 10 trial proofs. 12 7/8 x 9 7/8 in. Signed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil. This is a superb, luminous impression with full margins. The condition is fine. (There's just a very faint suggestion of a mat line.) This exceptional print contains all the elements of a great Martin Lewis; dramatic lights and darks, solitary figures, well-integrated architectural design and there's that added element of urban mystery to engage our imagination. $13,000 |
|
 |
East Side Night, Williamsburg Bridge MARTIN LEWIS American, (1881-1962) Etching, 1928, McCarron 71, edition 69. 9 5/8 x 11 7/8 in. Signed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil. This is a fine, luminous impression with full margins. The condition is also fine. This successful print won the Art Institute of Chicago's prestigious Frank G. Logan Purchase Prize in 1929. Another impression was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of art early on. Fifteen impressions are cited in museum collections in the catalogue. (The Williamsburg Bridge crosses the East River connecting the Lower East Side with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was opened in 1903.) $10,000 |
|
 |
Manta's Wharf (Provincetown) TOD LINDENMUTH American, (1885-1976) Linoleum cut, circa 1920, edition unknown. 13 3/4 x 10 3/4 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb impression of this extremely rare and masterful print. The margins are full and the condition is fine. Lindenmuth is one of the original members of the Provincetown Printers and one of the earliest artists to work almost exclusively in the linoleum cut medium. Manta's Wharf was built in the mid 19th century off of Commercial Street. It was badly damaged in a 1917 storm and was gone by 1929. This is arguably Lindenmuth's finest print and it's extremely rare. (The print is beautifully framed to museum standards.) SOLD |
|
 |
Cathedral Spires TOD LINDENMUTH American, (1885-1976) Linoleum cut, undated (circa 1920-25?), edition unknown. 12 3/4 x 10 1/2 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a stellar impression of this extremely rare and stunning print. The margins are full and the condition is fine. Lindenmuth was one of the original members of the Provincetown printers group and he specialized in scenes of boats and fishermen in the Cape Cod area. He was employed by the WPA during the 1930s. Cathedral Spires are located in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Birger Sandzen produced a very similar block print of this subject in 1922. $1,000 |
|
 |
Fog Bound TOD LINDENMUTH American, (1885-1976) Linoleum cut printed in colors, circa 1920, small edition. 14 1/8 x 11 1/8 in. Signed and titled in pencil. Here we have a fine impression of this large, exemplary work. The margins are modest but sustantial enough and the condition is excellent. Lindenmuth studied in New York with Robert Henri and later in Provincetown with Ambrose Webster and George Elmer Browne. He first exhibited his prints in Provincetown in 1915 and later. Lindenmuth was included in Janet Flint's landmark exhibition, Provincetown Printers; A Woodcut Tradition (1983). He is also represented in A Spectrum of Innovation; Color in American Printmaking 1890-1960, by David Acton (1990). $2,200 |
|
 |
Noon LOUIS LOZOWICK American, (1893-1973) Lithograph, 1930, Flint 60, edition 50. 8 1/4 x 11 in. Signed in pencil. A fine impression in fine condition with full margins. Provenance: Kennedy Galleries, New York. $1,200 |
|
 |
Storm over Manhattan LOUIS LOZOWICK American, (1893-1973) Lithograph, 1935, Flint 127, edition 189. 10 x 13 3/8 in. Signed and dated in pencil. This is a fine impression rich with contrasts. The margins are full and the condition is fine. (There's a tiny speck of ink in the lower margin and a tiny tear at the top margin edge.) This edition was published by Associated American Artists in NY and printed by George Miller. $4,000 |
|
 |
Tanks # 1 LOUIS LOZOWICK American, (1893-1973) Lithograph, 1929, Flint 39, edition 50. 13 7/8 x 8 in. Initialed on the stone, lower left corner. Signed, dated and numbered in pencil. This is a fine, rich impression of this dynamic print. The margins are full and the condition is fine. (Five additional impressions were printed in 1972 by Burr Miller. They are numbered I/X/V/X.) "In Tanks (No. 1), Lozowick creates a celebratory vision of a nocturnal industrial landscape with a monumental storage tank rising heroically through a lattice of pipes and scaffolding. The image also speaks to progress through the juxtaposition of an airplane and a team of horses. Mastery of the lithographic medium is evident in the velvety surfaces and subtle tonal gradations, while the simplification of forms and faceted planes reveal Lozowick's debt to Cubism, Russian Constructivism, and other avant-garde styles that he saw during his travels in Europe in the 1920s." (from the entry in the Brooklyn Museum online catalogue for their impression of this print.) $6,000 |
|
 |
Angry Skies (Andante Cantabile) LOUIS LOZOWICK American, (1893-1973) Lithograph, 1935, Flint 123. edition 250. 9 1/2 x 13 3/8 in. Initialed on the stone, lower left. Signed in pencil, lower right. This is a fine impression printed on white wove paper. The margins are trimmed a bit on the top and bottom but are still substantial enough. The condition is very good. This
impression is from the 1948 edition published by Associated American Artists and printed by George Miller. There was a small edition of ten impressions printed in 1935. $1,500 |
|