Martin Rosenthal

Mid-Century "Crossed Lines" Abstract Painting

c. 1965

Martin Rosenthal 1899-1974 Artist Martin Rosenthal was born in Woburn, MA. He completed military service in 1925 and then studied at the Art Students League with classmates John Sloan, Robert Henri and Boardman Robinson. As George Luks' associate at the Luks School of Painting - he also taught at Luks' summer home. The Modern Art Exhibition of 1934 was proclaimed by the press: "One of the most comprehensive exhibitions of modern art ever staged outside of a museum." Rosenthal's work was singled out from among exhibited pieces by Chagall, Modigliani, Zorach, and Pissarro. After this, Rosenthal exhibited very little but continued to paint. Sometime in the late 1960’s, the “Future People” series appeared... Rosenthal painted in the dark basement of a small home he shared with his mother in Queens, NY. In time, the works began to grow larger in size and brighter in color - as if to mock the artist’s surroundings. Eventually, he constructed some canvases almost too large to be removed from the basement. Rosenthal never really wanted to sell his “Future People.” Instead he surrounded himself with them like friends. These works were never seen until after Martin’s death in 1974. Exhibitions: 1932 American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, NY "Exhibition of Works George Luks Class" 1934 Young American Moderns, Montross Gallery, Fifth Ave., NY 1938 Montross Gallery 1980 International Fair of Contemporary Art - ART 1980 Washington, DC 2000 Atlanta Folk Fest