“Twin Towers” is a depiction of the rooftop opposite the apartment in Berlin where Martin lived with fellow artist Charles Whedon Rain lived. Tensions were rising in the city as the Nazi party was gaining power. Martin continued his painting work until the day when Nazi banners were unfurled from the windows of the post office building nearby. This Expressionist painting with its powerful brushwork juxtaposes a bold use of black with vibrant corals and blues. The building and sky vibrate with tension. This is one of Martin’s earliest cityscapes, a genre he returned to throughout his career. American artist Keith Morrow Martin (b. 1911 d. 1983) has been classified as an abstract artist, Magic Realist, and Surrealist. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Martin attended the Art Institute of Chicago then traveled and studied through pre-war Europe, settling for long periods of time in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, and Vienna. During WWII he was stationed in Iceland. After the war he returned to Paris and was one of the first American artists to exhibit in that recovering city. He traveled back to New York in the late 40s, then moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he continued to reside for 35 years. Martin’s works are  in numerous collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in D.C., the Art Institute of Chicago, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. 

Signed “Martin” in upper right corner

Medium: oil on linen, adhered to board

Size of support: 26” x 29” Size of outside frame: 30 3/8” x 33 7/8”

Year of creation: 1933

Condition notes: The painting surface is freshly cleaned and a coat of protective dammar varnish has been applied. The paint layer is vibrant, ground and support are sound. There are several small areas of fleck in painting.