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PIX & BACKGROUND

Featuring new acquisitions by The Martin Art Trust

ARNULFO MENDOZA

Although primarily known as a master weaver and promoter of art in the Oaxaca region of Mexico, Mendoza demonstrates his use of surreal imagery in this outstanding gouache painting incorporating rich colors and patterns to achieve a stunning image of a goddess floating between wavy hills below and a starry night above. Created circa 2000, this work represents Mendoza at his best. The Martin Art Trust acquired this work in early 2025 at Showplace Auctions in New York.

(ANONYMOUS) BRONZE LEOPARD

This is a significant example of the outstanding bronze casting in the metal working region of Benin in West Africa. The work was probably created in the mid-19th century, in the last pre-colonial flowering of Benin bronze culture. The statue depicts a female leopard, carrying her cub on her back, with delicate details on the face of the mother. The cub serves as the handle for the lid of this hollow statue, which may have originally held spice or incense in earlier times. The Martin Art Trust acquired this artwork at Auctions Showplace in New York City, from the estate of a New York-based diplomat, in February 2025.

DAVID BURLIUK

This is an outstanding example of work of Burliuk, a major Ukrainian artist, who was known for his works as both a futurist and a neo-primitivist. The work, “Two Women and a Red Horse” is both deceptively simple yet loaded with key symbols of Ukrainian and indeed Slavic culture. This is especially notable with the inclusion of a red horse, symbolizing prowess, war and bloodshed. It was painted in 1948, when memories of the destruction of World War II were still all-too-familiar to those who initially viewed this painting. The Martin Art Trust acquired this work at Auctions Showplace in February 2025.

DAVID HOCKNEY

This stunning portrait of the Greco-Alexandrian poet C.P.Cavafy, was drawn by Hockney when he was in his late 20s. It was part of a limited edition portfolio of illustrations of 14 poems by Cavafy. The work shows Hockney demonstrating his confidence of both line and subject matter. The work was published by London-based Editions Alecto in 1967 in an edition of 300 copies. Acquired by The Martin Art Trust at Christie’s in February 2025.

TONY SMITH

A British based painter and printmaker, Tony Smith is best known in northern England, where his works have been shown in galleries in Edinburgh, Durham and Newcastle as well as Holland. Unlike the American minimalist sculptor of the same name, Tony Smith’s works have a deceptively primitive style which welcomes the viewer into often joyful scenes of social interactions. This piece, “Tamino and Papagino from The Magic Flute”, is an oil pastel on paper created in 1980. The Martin Art Trust acquired this work at the Doyle auction house in 2023.

SONIA DELAUNAY

Sonia Delaunay’s lithograph entitled “Composition IX” was acquired at auction at Swann Galleries in June 2024. The work demonstrates Delaunay’s mastery of abstract design and color, for which she rightly became well known in the early 1920’s. The work portrays an organic form she used many times, reflecting her artistic beliefs summed up in a movement she founded called Orphism. The Martin Art Trust acquired this work at auction at Swann Galleries in 2024.

JOHN SLOAN

Acquired at Swann Galleries in April 2024, John Sloan’s etching entitled “Bandit’s Cave” is a dazzling example of Sloan’s artistic mastery. The work, created in 1920, depicts a rakish view of nightlife in New York during prohibition. Sloan wore many hats in his career, most notably as a key organizer of the 1913 Armory Show, which introduced American art lovers to Impressionism and other schools of modern art.

HERMAN ROSE

In this oil painting entitled “Christopher Street”, Herman Rose displays his commanding skill as a leading lyrical painter in mid-20th century America. He has been called “the painter’s painter’s painter. Rose’s reputation soared when he was accepted as one of 15 artists shown in the 1952 annual new talent show at the Museum of Modern Art. Other American artists included in that show included Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollack and Clyfford Still. Rose defied the trend to abstract expressionism, winning praise from leading critics like Hilton Kramer, who in 1981 hailed Rose as an artist whose paintings “are among the most beautiful works in this challenging medium for many years.” His work can be viewed in many collections including the Hirshhorn Museum, MOMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Smithsonian Institution. The Martin Art Trust acquired this painting at auction at Doyle Fine Art in 2024.

ABRAHAM WALKOWITZ

Known for his long-time obsession with Isadora Duncan, Walkowitz was a leading modernist who made over 5,000 figurative works as well as abstract motion studies of the famous dancer. This work is part of a quartet of abstract motion studies completed between 1914 and 1916. Although he did not gain the fame of some of the other modernists in the early years of the 20th century, Walkowitz was close with Alfred Stieglitz, John Marin and others who were active in organizing the famous 1913 Armory show, which introduced American audiences to modern art including impressionists, cubists and the fauvistes. The Martin Art Trust acquired this work at Swann Galleries in 2024.

WILLIAM KING

William King was a leading sculptor in the second half of the 20th century. This untitled work made of wood showing his trademark style of a solitary male figure. King studied art at Cooper Union, the Academia dei Belle Artie in Rome and the Central School in London. His works were constructed of wood, bronze, vinyl and other materials. His sculptures are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), the Hirshhorn Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Martin Art Trust acquired this piece at auction through Swann Galleries in 2023.

WILLIAM SHARP

Known as an illustrator for leading magazines and newspapers, William Sharp produced numerous drawings and etchings. This painting, entitled ”Iron Mask,” is a rarity. Completed in 1940, the painting shows a familiarity with abstract and cubist art styles, unlike the more realist styles required for his illustrations. Sharp’s work can be seen in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Carnegie Institute and the New York Public Library. “Iron Mask” was acquired by The Martin Art Trust at auction at Swann Galleries in 2023.

MORTIMER MENPES

This extraordinary portrait of James Whistler captures the essence of the scrappy and raffish personality of the painter, who was a long-time friend of Menpes, an Australian-born painter who was a leading artist in England during the late 19th century. The title of this work sums up Menpes’ admiration of Whistler: The work is entitled “Whistler in White Ducks (Whistler: Five Faces).”

DAN ROMER

A portrait of the collector, Josh Martin, created by the New York-based painter and multi-media artist Dan Romer in 2021. The work, created in the artist’s studio, measures 19” x 24”, and consists of mixed media as well as pen and ink elements, on smooth Bristol paper. It captures both the attitude and the look of the collector, while displaying Romer’s remarkable skill as an artist. Acquired from the artist for The Martin Art Trust in 2021.

JACQUES LIPCHITZ

This work, entitled “Wrestlers Fighting” is a remarkable work by one of the titans of 20th century art. It is also notable for the background story about this particular piece. Lipschitz completed the work in 1941, after he moved to New York, escaping the Nazis who overran France, where he had been living since the early 1930s. He had been rescued by Varian Fry, an American idealist who had rescued many artists and others being persecuted by the Nazis by providing them with visas to travel to the US. Fry purchased this work from Lipschitz in the early 1940s. The work itself, made of ink and gouache on brown paper, measures 12 ¾ “ x 9 ¾ “. It was acquired from Fry’s descendants by The Martin Art Trust at auction in 2023.

SCOTT COUSINS

“Peace Circle” by Scott Cousins, is an arresting work of art. It demonstrates Cousins masterful skill at telling a series of tales, depicted within this surreal portrait consisting of ‘windows’ in which various figures act out a variety of scenes. The work, measuring 16” x 12”, was created in 2021. It is made of goauche, ink and flashe paint on Arches paper. It was acquired from the artist for The Martin Art Trust in 2021.

HERMAN ROSE

Herman Rose’s “Little Blue Bottle” (oil, 18” x 17”, 1968) is a prime example of the confident landscape and still-life artist whose works drew praise from noted critics including New York Times’ Hilton Kramer and Art in America critic Lawrence Campbell. Often described as a "lyrical painter," Rose was hailed during his lifetime as “the greatest living painter of landscape and still life in the U.S.” His paintings hang in many leading US museums and private collections, including the Hirshhorn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Academy of Design. Acquired at Swann Galleries for The Martin Art Trust, 2021.

PEDRO ROTH

Born in Hungary, Roth has made his name as an artist in Argentina. He enjoys a loyal following among collectors as well as museums and galleries in Europe as well as North and South America. This work, entitled “Woman Waving” completed in 2020, displays many of Roth’s classic fixations, especially the elongated fingers of his women, and the use of bright colors. The work measures 16” x 16”, made with acrylic, pen and ink, on fine paper. This work was acquired by The Martin Art Trust in 2023.

Katherine Shubert painting Snake in the Grass

KATHERINE SHUBERT-KUNIYOSHI

In this painting, “Snake in the Grass”, Katherine Shubert-Kuniyoshi displays her meticulous technique which captivated the art scene in New York in the 1920s and 30s. A trailblazer, Shubert-Kuniyoshi was one of the youngest and earliest female students at the Art Students League. From 1939 to 1961 she declined to exhibit her works, but gained renewed acclaim afterwards for her mastery of descriptive realism that had characterized her early work. Snake in the Grass is an early work, completed in 1920. The oil painting measures 25 1/4 “ x 30”, and is deliberately unframed. It was part of the Zabriskie Collection, which was sold at auction at Swann Galleries to The Martin Art Trust in 2021.

Zekio Dawson Connections I and II (2021)

ZEKIO 1

Zekio Dawson’s work Connections I and II (2021), is both a witty homage to Michelangelo’s famous fresco, The Creation of Adam, in the Sistine Chapel, but also a reference to expanding one’s knowledge. The twin works, measuring 14” x 14”, is an arresting work by a new artist(who shows under his first name only) and is the most recent addition to the collection of The Martin Art Trust. Acquired from Atlantic Gallery, NYC.

David Burliuk, Arnulfo Mendoza, David Hockney, (anonymous Benin Bronze), Tony Smith, Sonia Delaunay, Abraham Walkowitz, William King, William Sharp, WMortimer Menpes, Jacques Lipchitz, Jean Arp, Katherine Shubert-Kunioshi, Herman Rose, Pedro Roth, Victoria Chica, Zekio, Jay Walker, Karel Appel, Cynthia Consentino, RG Calvin, Andres Muller. Joseph Meierhans, Louis Charles Moeller, Jorge Vargas, Allan D'Arcangelo, Charles Gordon Harris, Charna Rickey, George Gardner Symons, Dan Romer, John Sloan, Henri Duhem, Scott Cousins, Jeff Miller,

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PIX & BACKGROUND

Featuring new acquisitions by The Martin Art Trust