Study for "Manhattan Bridge" (#1)

Born in Germany, Rönnebeck trained in Paris and worked initially as a sculptor beofre making his first lithographs in 1921 after a trip to Italy. He moved to the United States in 1923, living in New York from 1924–26 where he joined the circle of avant-garde artists around Alfred Siteiglitz. This resulted in his first solo exhibition, organized by Carl Zigrosser at the Weyhe Gallery. Rönnebeck's lithographs of New York are among his best known works. Many center on skyscrapers and soaring bridges, reflecting the artist's view of the city's distinct urban landscape which he described as "living cubism." When he made this drawing, the artist may have been contemplating making a print to pair with his Brooklyn Bridge lithograph (1925). The latter looks towards Manhattan across the East River while Study of The Manhattan Bridge (# 1) reverses the view.