Storm Breaking, 1878–80
by John Francis Murphy (1853–1921)12 x 18 inches
Signed lower left
Information
Provenance
(Possibly) Sale, Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, sale no. 1656, 1956, lot 21
Alexander Gallery, New York
Babcock Galleries, New York
Questroyal Fine Art, LLC, New York
Private collection, Larchmont, New York, acquired from above, 2005
Artist Biography
John Francis Murphy was America’s premier Tonalist, whose landscapes bare his poetic style. Moving away from realistic depictions of nature, Murphy attempted to capture landscape’s lyric potential, often applying several layers of glaze to achieve atmospheric effects.
Born in Oswego, New York, Murphy was a self-taught artist whose sensitive temperament drew him toward pastoral scenes. After keeping a studio in New York City for many years, he moved to Arkville, a picturesque town in the Catskills that had once been the home of Thomas Cole. There, Murphy created evocative vignettes of stark meadows and still ponds, pushing his moody style