To round out my first week of share-a-print-each-day, I’m returning to the artist that started it all for me, Martin Lewis (1881-1962). Lewis was born in Australia, but emigrated to the US in his teens and settled here, finding various ways to support himself with his artistic talents until eventually succeeding financially as a serious artist in the heyday of print art in the US. Lewis was an ardent printmaker, experimenting with numerous different intaglio techniques including many variations on both engraving and etching. Today’s print was produced by drypoint, an engraving technique that allows very fine lines and detail at the expense of producing a plate that degrades after a fairly small number of prints. Drypoint plates rarely produce more than 25 or so high-quality impressions, often less, and there are often noticeable differences even a few impressions apart. Since it’s Saturday morning, I’m sharing a lovely morning scene in Manhattan titled Quarter to Nine, Saturday’s Children, illustrating people going to work on E. 34th St at Park Avenue on a Saturday morning. The title is derived from the nursery rhyme “Monday’s child is fair of face….” in which “Saturday’s child works hard for a living”.
