During the 1930s Lewis painted several Victorian houses in California settings. His fascination with picturesque buildings stemmed no doubt from his early aspirations to be an architect. The crowded San Francisco streets with rows of houses with steep front steps were particularly appealing and might have been one reason for his move to that city, where he lived on Telegraph Hill. In this watercolor Lewis utilized an open view, painting from high atop a hill, looking down toward the bay and Alcatraz Island. From this position he was able to dwell on more than just the houses, handsomely capturing the character of the Bay Area. The entire composition is presented in cool colors with large amounts of white paper exposed or luminously appearing through thin washes. Lewis painted the scene very wet, applying one pigment over a wet wash, so that the overall effect becomes extremely soft, suggesting the hazy light and overcast skies of San Francisco.
