Bernard Murray Martin (American, 1935-2021), Homage to an Illusion

Oil on canvas, 1963, signed at lower right, signed and inscribed to the verso, framed.

Frame dimensions 69 x 69 in.

Bernard Murray Martin was an influential artist and educator born in Ferrum, Virginia. He earned a BFA from Richmond Professional Institute (now VCU) and an MFA from Hunter College. As the founding chair of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Painting and Printmaking, he played a central role in shaping art education in the region.

Martin’s work spanned conceptualism, text-image combinations, and pop-cultural commentary. He exhibited widely and is represented in major collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. He received honors including NEA and VMFA fellowships and the Pollak Lifetime Achievement Award.

Minor scattered foxing to the verso canvas, craquelure to the dark cobalt paint at top center of the composition, paint flaking and loss to lower left edge of central square.