Estimated Price:

   $   

Realized Price:

   $   

What is this symbol? This symbol indicates that this auction hose has verified this price result.

Log in or subscribe to view price data

Kenneth Martin 1905-1984- Portrait of a lady seated three-quarter length; pastel on green grey paper, signed, 43x30.5cm. Note: This portrait was painted in the 1930s or early 1940s. The National Portrait Gallery has a similar pastel by Martin of his wife Mary painted in 1934 and the Haywood Gallery included a 1941 pastel drawing 'Girl Combing her Hair 'in the 2001-2003 travelling exhibition on Martin. Kenneth Martin has a growing reputation as one of Britain's premier artists and sculptors in the post-war period. He was born in Sheffield and studied part-time at Sheffield School of Art in the 1920s. A Royal Exhibition took him to the Royal Academy Schools 1929-32. He taught at St John's Wood School of Art and was a visiting lecturer at Goldsmiths' College 1946-67. Martin started painting in a naturalist style and in 1936 became a member of the London Group where he became friendly with Victor Pasmore. In 1943 he had his first solo show at Leicester Galleries but, post-1945, he turned towards abstraction. His reputation grew and, with his wife Mary Martin, he lead a new Constructivist movement in England. Tate Gallery gave him a retrospective in 1975 and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art held a two-man show in 1976 showing Martin and Henry Moore. Following his death, the Serpentine Gallery gave him a retrospective in 1985 and a Haywood Gallery travelling exhibition on Martin was held 2001-2003. Camden Arts Centre in 2007 held ajoint show of Kenneth and Mary Martin called 'Constructed Works'. Tate Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Arts Council and many other public collections hold his work.