Building a Babylon, Tudor City, N.Y.C. 1929

Martin Lewis made this print, Building a Babylon, Tudor City, N.Y.C., using drypoint, a printmaking technique, to render a night scene, perhaps in the 1930s. It’s a dance of blacks and grays where every line feels etched with intention. Up close, you can almost feel the burr of the drypoint digging into the metal. The texture isn't just seen, it's felt – a gritty urban landscape brought to life. Look at the sky, those fine, almost vibrating lines suggesting light or maybe the city's glow, and then your eye is drawn to the towering structure, a ziggurat of modernity. What’s compelling is not only the architectural form, but the way the artist uses mark-making to evoke a sense of scale and atmosphere. I’m reminded of Piranesi, who also explored architectural spaces, but here, Lewis captures something distinctly American: the grandiose ambition and the gritty reality of building a metropolis. Ultimately, it's a testament to the idea that art is not about answers but about opening up new spaces for questions and experiences.