The towering form of Manhattan's Chanin Building— newly completed when Lewis made this print, and still standing today on the corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue—is the distant focus of the woman in the foreground of Lewis's composition. The glowing skyscraper, in the modern Art Deco style, contrasts with the dark rows of squat buildings and the strings of drying laundry around the fire escape where she stands. In Lewis's time his mastery of printing techniques was widely recognized; Edward Hopper, who shared his interest in the illuminated forms of the city at night, sought his advice when making some of his own etchings.
Gallery label from American Modern: Hopper to O'Keeffe, August 17, 2013–January 26, 2014 .
