This complex painting with its full range of colors by American artist Keith Morrow Martin (b. 1911 d. 1983) is a brilliant example, not of a still life, but of an unstill life. 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. “Still Life with Benedictine Bottle”  eschews the deadly static look of traditional set arrangements and instead imbues the setting with action bordering on vertigo. 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 with monogram KM and date in middle, left

 Medium: oil on canvas

 Size of support:  30” x 36”  Size of outside frame: 34 1/4” x 40 1/4”

 Year of Creation: 1966

 Condition Notes: Painting has been cleaned, discolored varnish removed and a fresh varnish applied. There are no losses and no areas of inpaint. Stretcher, linen, ground, and paint layers are all sound and in excellent condition, presents well.