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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