J. Francis Murphy: Tonalism

J. Francis Murphy - Landscape - ca. 1880-1890, oil on canvas, 5 1/2 x 12 in. (14.0 x 30.5 cm.) - Smithsonian American Art - Washington, D.C. (click photo for larger image) J. Francis Murphy (1853-1921) was an American painter born in Oswego, New York. John would become a leading figure in American Tonalism in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Tonalism is a style of painting in which landscapes are depicted in soft light and shadows, often as if through a colored or misty veil. Imported to the U.S. by American painters inspired by landscapes produced by the Barbizon School, it was a forerunner to the many schools and colonies of American Impressionism that dominated in American art  in the first part of the 20th century. The most influential American practitioners of the style were George Inness and James McNeill Whistler. You can read about both artists here on What About Art? 

Tonalism's soft-edged realism also had an influence on the photography of the early 20th century, particularly on Alfred Stieglitz and his circle.

After moving to Chicago in 1868, J. Francis Murphy began working as a painter of theater sets and advertising billboards, sparking his artistic interests. Primarily self-taught, he did attend classes at the Chicago Academy of Design for a short time. In 1873, he was elected an Associate of the Chicago Academy of Design before progressing to Academician just a mere few weeks later. Initially attracted to the Hudson River School and the works of William Hurt, Murphy spent three months in the Adirondack Mountains sketching that same year.

Autumn - a la Thomas Moran

Thomas Moran - Autumn - c. 1893-97 - Oil on canvas - 76.2 x - 91.4 cm (30 x 36 in) - The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma (click photo for larger image)As we enter the Fall season—a painting of an autumn scene is in order! Hudson River School painter and printmaker Thomas Moran (1837-1926) is most well known for his idealized views of the American West. This son of poor immigrant hand-weavers was entirely self-taught. He got some training as an engraver and opened an engraving business with his two brothers. “But his heart was in painting, and his predilections intensely, youthfully Romantic.” Influenced by J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), Moran received international attention and acclaim for his portrayals of the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.  

The Hudson River School encompasses two generations of painters, inspired by Thomas Cole’s images of America's wilderness - in the Hudson River Valley, and also in the newly opened West. The particular use of light effects, to lend an exaggerated drama to such elements as mist and sunsets, developed into a subspecialty known as Luminism.