Corner Shadows

1929

Corner Shadows, 1929. Martin Lewis (American, 1881–1962). Drypoint; platemark: 21.1 x 22.4 cm (8 5/16 x 8 13/16 in.); sheet: 27.9 x 31.1 cm (11 x 12 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1930.667 Martin Lewis’s works avoid specific narratives or storylines and instead present commonplace activities on city streets. In this work, Lewis demonstrated his love of movement and its interaction with light, as the gossamer skirts of the women on the sidewalk capture the light from the corner store across the street. His interest in night scenes would be taken up by his friend Edward Hopper (whom he taught to etch), whose night scene is on view nearby. This print was commissioned by the Print Club of Cleveland in 1929.