This engaging watercolor with its rusty splash of paint over pencil by American artist Keith Morrow Martin (b. 1911 d. 1983) depicts a statue of Apollo, the god of the sun. Martin has been classified as an abstract artist, Magic Realist, and Surrealist although he occasionally painted or drew portraits. 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.  “Apollo” is representative of Martin’s lifelong love of classical subjects. He often used watercolor techniques which imitated age and patina and time’s wear on beautiful subjects whether a statue or a still life or even a landscape. 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. 

Initialed “KM” and dated ‘69 in center right

Medium: watercolor and graphite on paper

Sight size of paper: 11” x 8 1/2” Size of outside frame: 21 5/8” x 16 5/8”

Year of creation: 1969

Condition: Appears to be in excellent condition, no visible damage. The piece has been custom framed using archival materials, acid-free cotton mats, Museum Glass, and a solid walnut frame.