Printmaker Biographies

Martin Lewis

(1881-1962)

“Wet Night, Route 6” by Martin Lewis

Martin Lewis was an Australian-born American artist celebrated for his evocative prints of urban life.

Born in Castlemaine, Victoria, Lewis moved to the United States in 1900, where he developed his artistic skills while working various jobs, including as a billboard painter and commercial illustrator. Lewis’s printmaking career flourished in the 1920s and 1930s, with drypoint becoming a favored technique. His works, such as “Shadow Dance” and “The Glow of the City,” captured the atmosphere of New York City with stunning detail and dramatic lighting. He was particularly skilled at portraying nocturnal scenes, using the soft, velvety lines of drypoint to create a sense of mystery and mood.

During the early 1930’s Lewis became friends with Armin Landeck and in 1934 opened The School for Printmakers with Landeck and the lithographic printer, George Miller. Unfortunately, the school closed in early 1935, a victim of the depression.

A close friend and mentor to Edward Hopper, Lewis shared Hopper’s interest in capturing the human experience within the urban environment. Although his popularity waned in the mid-20th century, Lewis’s prints have since regained recognition as masterpieces of American printmaking.