Clarinets
(probably a design for a jazz album cover)
signed lower left David Stone Martin,
ink and gouache on toned paper,
20 1/4 x 22 3/4 inches (sheet)
Born in Chicago, Martin is probably best known for the hundreds of album covers he created, mainly for jazz musicians throughout the United States. He particularly liked to work with a single line drawing and only one color, as in Clarinets. In this he was highly influenced by Ben Shahn. He also contributed numerous illustrations to print magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post. Martin’s work has been acquired by a number of public institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and the Smithsonian.