Martin Lewis’ drypoint print, “Rainy Day, Queens,” captures light behind cloudy skies and in slick sidewalk puddles on a grim city day.
Does anyone have an idea where this is?
It’s moody and enchanting—and it sold at Christie’s for $23,750! I hope it’s not sitting in a closet somewhere.
Tags: "Rainy Day, drypoint print, Martin Lewis prints, New York artists, New York in the 1930s, New York street, Queens, Queens paintings, rainy day New York City
Ephemeral New York 
October 3, 2011 at 9:45 am |
Ever since you started showing his paintings I’ve really grown to love his work. There’s a sense of isolation and apartness which shows the NY character. He or she is ever alone.
October 3, 2011 at 6:55 pm |
I know exactly what you mean. I came across Lewis only after I started Ephemeral, and over the past few years I’ve become a huge fan of his lovely and fascinating prints. Now if only I had 23K to buy one….
October 3, 2011 at 12:49 pm |
I don’t know where this is, but I think there are at least two big clues for others more familiar with Queens: the wall on the right with nothing behind it could be a railroad overpass and the fact that the road slopes dramatically down after that. Perhaps one of the LIRR overpasses, like Thompson Ave in LIC (though the buildings do not match).
October 3, 2011 at 1:05 pm |
It could be one of the Sunnyside railroad overpasses — Honeywell Avenue or 39th Street, perhaps.
October 3, 2011 at 2:11 pm |
Could it be Bell Boulevard in Bayside, where it crosses over the LIRR tracks and station below?
October 3, 2011 at 3:36 pm |
I’m going with Queens Blvd, no specific reason why, but the overpass could be over Union Turnpike or the Van Wyke
October 3, 2011 at 9:59 pm |
Woodside, looking westward towards Sunnyside. Up the crumbling bluestone sidewalk on Skillman Ave., Roosevelt Ave is at your back. The crest of the hill is the point where 54th Street zig-zags across Skillman.
At the time the work was made, it was a brand new neighborhood, carved out of overgrown farms and crumbling homesteads on the wastes lying west of Woodside. Check out NY Public Library’s Digital Gallery entry (Image ID: 725455F), showing the same direction from about a half block to the left. See also Image ID: 725454F, showing the sidewalk in the foreground of the print; photo taken from across the street, looking north.
The fenced wall along the busted sidewalk is the perimeter of the old P.S. 11 property. See it at the gallery: Image ID: 728232F (but not from the perspective of Skillman).
The foreground has been transformed, but all buildings in the print are still there. The first building on the left is the 4-story walk-up apartment building on SE corner of Skillman and 54th.
March 14, 2016 at 11:07 pm |
That’s awesome educating J.T. thanks for the info…I used to live on 54th St. Between Roosevelt Ave and Skillman Ave. The last house closest to Skillman on the right side…
October 4, 2011 at 12:45 am |
Wow, great eye, TJ! Here it is today: http://tinyurl.com/5s3cwe9
I spent a good hour this morning combing the rail road overpasses in that area and through Queens this morning!
October 4, 2011 at 3:55 am |
There was a time when that sort of thing could have gotten you in hot water with the vice squad.
August 25, 2012 at 8:08 pm |
I believe you are correct. I went onto Google Earth and looked at the window pattern of the large building–which is still extant at 54th St. and Skillman Ave.–on the left in the picture. It matches up with the one in Lewis’s print. Good work!
October 4, 2011 at 9:08 pm |
if i had that money i’d buy this one
October 4, 2011 at 9:10 pm |
sorry, it’s from here
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2709168
October 4, 2011 at 9:21 pm
It’s one of my favorites too. And hey, the starting bid is just $7,000!
October 17, 2011 at 12:52 am |
I agree with the location – I knew it the minute I saw the picture, must be from walking out of PS 11 and heading west on Skillman for seven years of my life
October 20, 2011 at 3:44 pm |
This looks like Northern Blvd at Crocheron Avene near the Broadway station of the LIRR in Flushing
December 1, 2011 at 6:21 am |
[…] out another Martin Lewis street scene with a now-solved mystery location in Queens. Share this:TwitterLike this:LikeBe the first to like […]
December 2, 2011 at 2:28 pm |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUOB8MN4Kc