Description: This is a fine, exceptional and RARE Antique Old WPA Wildlife Birds Crane Etching on paper, by pioneering female New York WPA painter and printmaker, Minnie Lois Murphy (1901 - 1962.) This artwork depicts a bucolic wildlife scene, with a large mother crane and its child along the edge of a small creek. In the distance, delicately rendered trees and dense woodland be seen. The baby bird fully extends its wings and neck, under the oversight of its watchful mother. Signed and dated in graphite in the lower right corner: "M. Lois Murphy '27." This small gem is approximately 8 5/8 x 10 5/8 inches (including frame.) Actual visible artwork is approximately 5 3/8 x 7 1/4 inches. Very good condition for nearly a century of age, with some light scuffing and edge wear to the antique period frame, and age-related yellowing along the edges of the print (please see photos.) This etching is from a rare, early and unnumbered edition of unknown size, which has never been offered before on the secondary market. Acquired in Pasadena, California. According to the artist's biography, she was spending summers in Glendale, California by the 1930's, and this is very likely why this piece was found in this locality almost 100 years after its creation. Murphy's original artworks can be found in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Gibbes Museum of Art (WPA), Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C., among many others. If you like what you see, I encourage you to make an Offer. Please check out my other listings for more wonderful and unique artworks! About the Artist: Minnie Lois Murphy Born: 1901 - Lyons, KansasDied: 1962Known for: Genre, landscape, printmakerName variants: Bilton, Lois Murphy Minnie Lois Murphy (1901 - 1962) was active/lived in New York, Colorado, California, Kansas. Minnie Murphy is known for Genre, landscape, printmaker. Minnie Lois Murphy was born February 8, 1901 in Lyons, Kansas. She earned a BS from Columbia Univ. Studied at the Art Students League and was a pupil of Boardman Robinson, Kimon Nicolaides, and George Grosz. By the late 1930s she was spending summers in Glendale, CA. Lived in Brooklyn, NY in 1953. She died in 1962. Exhibitions: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 1927, 1928, 1934; Society of Independent Artists, 1929; Art Institute of Chicago, 1930, 1931; Minneapolis Art Institute, 1930; Provincetown Art Assoc., 1930; Brooklyn Museum, 1931; Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, 1932; Riverside (CA) Museum, 1934, 1935, 1937; Wichita Art Assoc.1936; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1937; Northwest Printmakers, 1937; World's Fair, New York, 1939; Museum of Modern Art, 1936; Herron Art Institute, 1943; and many more.Awards: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 1927; Wichita Art Assoc., 1932.Collections: Whitney Museum of American Art; Metropolitan Museum of Art; BrooklynPublic Library, Krannert Art Museum, Illinois, Deleware Art Museum, Wilmington, The Gibbes Museum of Art (WPA), Baltimore Museum of Art, University of Iowa Museum of Art, Iowa City (U.S. General Services Administration Fine Arts Collection), Princeton University Art Museum, Syracuse University, New York, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. Born February 8~ Minnie Lois Murphyposted in 365 Women Artists, Artists Born Today Include:, Women Artists by ChristyBest known as a printmaker, Minnie Lois Murphy (1901-1962) was affiliated with the WPA Federal Art Project. The Smithsonian says she was born on February 8th. Minnie Lois MurphyMinnie Lois Murphy is a highly-regarded American artist whose works span many different visual mediums, including photography, painting, collage, and sculpture. Her artistry is notably characterized by her utilization of natural elements and her unique focus on juxtaposing the brilliance of nature with the ordinary objects of human life. Her works often aim to explore the fundamental tension between man, nature, and society in an exquisite and emotive manner. Some of her most celebrated pieces include 'The Ruins of Inspiration', 'Friendly Neighbors', and 'A Place of Comfort'.Author: Giovanna Mancini Born in Lyons, KS on Feb. 8, 1901. While based in Brooklyn Murphy studied at the ASL of NYC and with Hans Hofmann and Grosz. By the late 1930s she was spending summers in Glendale, CA. Exh: PAFA, 1927 (gold medal), 1928, 1934; AIC, 1930; Society of Independent Artists, 1929; Minneapolis Art Institute, 1930; Provincetown AA, 1930; Phillips Academy (Andover, MA), 1932; Riverside Museum, 1934, 1935, 1937; Wichita AA, 1936 (1st prize); LACMA, 1937; NW PM, 1937; NY World's Fair, 1939; Herron Art Institute, 1943; MOMA, 1936. In: Brooklyn High Schools; Queensboro Public Library; Whitney Museum; Hunter College (NY).Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940"American Art Annual 1930; Who's Who in American Art 1936-53.
Price: 975 USD
Location: Orange, California
End Time: 2025-02-05T20:15:17.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Artist: Minnie Lois Murphy
Signed By: Minnie Lois Murphy
Image Orientation: Portrait
Size: Small
Signed: Yes
Period: Art Deco (1920-1940)
Material: Paper
Original/Licensed Reprint: Original
Region of Origin: California, USA
Framing: Matted & Framed
Subject: Animal Head, Birds, Botanical, Famous Paintings/Painters, Fish & Water Animals, Forest, Landscape, National Parks, Plants, Silhouettes, Tree
Type: Print
Year of Production: 1927
Item Height: 10 5/8 in
Theme: Americana, Animals, Art, Continents & Countries, Exhibitions, Natural History, Nature, Portrait
Style: Americana, Figurative Art, Illustration Art, Portraiture, Realism, WPA, Regionalism
Features: 1st Edition, Limited Edition
Production Technique: Etching
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Item Width: 8 5/8 in
Handmade: Yes
Time Period Produced: 1925-1949
