Stoops in the Snow

Born in Australia, Martin Lewis immigrated to America in 1900. Originally arriving in San Francisco, he moved cross-country and became enthralled with the hustle and bustle of New York City, a central subject of his art. Lewis focused particularly on daily life, with an emphasis on light and weather, and as he turned more and more to printmaking, he used tonal qualities to create dynamic, realistic scenes. Drypoint especially, afforded him the sharp, precise contrast that would become so prevalent in his work. In this print, weary figures trudge through snow that drives across the page in a whirl of movement, overcoats and stairwells in dark shadow under their white blankets. An innovative technique employed here involved grinding loose sand or sandpaper into the plate, which left pits that created an overall texture essential to representing the effect of snow.