Hello, this item is an original pencil drawing by Martin Lewis, identified as Houses on Long Island, likely created during the late 1920s to early 1930s. The composition depicts a row of sharply angled residential rooftops rendered with quick, economical graphite lines, demonstrating Lewis’s characteristic ability to simplify architectural forms into rhythmic patterns of light and geometry. The notation on the reverse referencing similarity to the oil painting “Dawn” suggests this drawing may have functioned as a preparatory compositional study connected to a larger painted or printmaking project. The work carries strong estate provenance through the “Collection Lucille Deming Lewis” stamp and inventory number LDL-306, alongside the estate signature “P.L.” for Patricia Lewis, Martin Lewis’s daughter-in-law, which is consistent with documented estate handling and authentication practices for works remaining within the Lewis family archive.

Condition appears stable overall, with expected toning to the paper and no immediately visible major condition issues from the photographs provided. Although modest in scale, intimate architectural studies by Martin Lewis are increasingly appreciated by collectors because they reveal the artist’s compositional process outside his better-known etchings. Estate-stamped and catalogued drawings maintain stronger market confidence than undocumented sketches, particularly when linked to known compositions or themes in Lewis’s body of work. Comparable authenticated graphite studies and preparatory sketches by Martin Lewis generally achieve solid results in the American works on paper market. Based on the apparent condition, provenance markings, rarity, and current collector demand, the fair market value would likely range between $2,000 and $4,500 USD.