Desirable 8 x 12.25 etching of Albert Einstein smiling in a front-facing pose by Lionel S. Reiss, signed in the lower left corner in fountain pen by the subject, "Albert Einstein, 1933," and in the lower right by the artist, "Lionel S. Reiss." In fine condition.
Lionel Samson Reiss (1894–1988) was born in Jaroslav, Poland. As early as 1899, he migrated to the United States with his family, settling in New York. He studied at the Art Students League and then worked as a media graphic designer for newspapers and the advertising industry. Around 1930, he decided to work as a freelance artist and traveled to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. There, he painted the everyday life of Jews. Einstein and Reiss likely met in New York in 1933. Eventually he became art director for Paramount Studios and is credited to be the creator of the Leo the Lion logo of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.
Remarkably, this exact piece is depicted in the March 1934 issue of Labor Palestine (Vol. I, No. 6).
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