Bernard Safran (June 3, 1924 – October 14, 1995) was an American painter known for his realistic portraits and scenes of everyday life in New York and in rural Canada.

During World War II (1939–45) Safran joined the United States Army Corps of Engineers and served in China, Burma and India.

He spent six months in the mid-1950s studying and copying work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art by old masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Diego Velázquez and Rembrandt.

[10] After he had left Time Magazine, Saffran spent almost twenty years painting over forty genre scenes of everyday life in Manhattan, typically portraying the strength of ordinary people living in decaying urban settings.

The powerful painting conveys a sense of sadness and menace through Medea's expression alone, with no obvious clues such as a weapon.

The painting was first shown at the Fitzgerald Gallery in New York City in 1966, part of a show of works by Safran on themes from mythology and the Bible.