NOTRE DAME, IN.- The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame announces a major gift from the Marten Charitable Foundation through the stewardship of Gini Marten Hupfer, Foundation leader and member of the Museum’s Advisory Council. The tandem naming and endowment gift was inspired by the legacy of Virginia Marten (1925–2022), a long-standing, former member of the Advisory Council and devoted Museum supporter.

The gift will confer the name “Marten Family Gallery” on the current east gallery of European Art before 1700. Works by Vicenzo Spisanelli, Claude Lorrain, Giuseppe Ribera, and Bartolomeo Veneto, among others, are featured in the gallery. With naming the gallery, a permanent feature, centered in the gallery, will be installed; to be called the “Marian Court,” it will be a permanent display featuring Marian imagery from the Raclin Murphy’s extensive holdings to honor Virginia Marten’s particular devotion to Mary, the Mother of Christ, and her love of art. Currently, images based on Marian iconography, ranging from paintings by Francesco Francia to Hans Memling to Giorgio Vasari, are highlighted in this space.


Virgin Immaculata, 1730–1733. Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, Hard-paste porcelain, 7 3/4 x 3 3/8 x 2 inches. Virginia A. Marten Endowment for Decorative Art 2022.014

Complementing the named gallery, the second part of the gift establishes the Marten Family Endowment for Marian Art. The new endowment will provide support for research, conservation, acquisitions, interpretation, and programming to advance scholarship and appreciation of the traditions of Marian Art. A unique endowment to the institution, it underscores both the Museum’s and the University’s commitment to research and inquiry.

"This gift is meant to honor my sweet mother, Virginia Marten’s love for both Notre Dame, the Blessed Mother, and her passion for the arts. We believe we found the perfect space in which to do just that at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. I know my mother would be thrilled and humbled by this," states Gini Marten Hupfer.

“The support of the Marten Family, beginning with Virginia and steadfastly followed by her children, is truly remarkable and inspiring,” states Joseph Antenucci Becherer, Director and Curator of Sculpture. “The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and the University of Notre Dame are uniquely positioned to facilitate and celebrate the study and appreciation of Marian imagery, thus truly honoring the legacy of Virginia and her family. Their gift and endowment mark an exceptional moment when love, devotion, and scholarship converge.”