The Matchless Albert
K. Murray
Was he America's foremost portrait painter—after Sargent?
Albert
Murray
1906-1992 |
 here
are those who believe that the greatest of all
American portrait painters—after John
Singer Sargent—was Albert Murray, the
legendary New York artist (1906-1992) who created
some of the most memorable and effective portraits
ever painted in this country. An Albert Murray
portrait was characterized by consummate draftsmanship,
exquisite color, flawless craftsmanship—resulting in a truly penetrating rendition of
the personality of the subject. Here are four
outstanding examples of Al Murray's magnificent
art:
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3. Billy Wingate
Every artist who paints portraits
of children and young people should
keep a reproduction of this painting
in their paintboxes! There are some
powerful lessons to be learned here.
The young subject sits in a simple,
unaffected pose with a single strong
light coming in from the left. The
background is uncomplicated—nothing more than a wash of neutral
color that provides a perfect foil
for the clearly rendered figure.
The shadow side of the head is bathed
in a delicious reflected light.
Both the light and the dark side
of the head are lighter than the
background. The lad's hair is neatly
combed, but his collar is unruly—a perfect touch of convincing
realism. The execution is straightforward
and direct—not overworked.
The work of a genius!
Oil
on canvas, 1957
36 x 25 inches
Private collection
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