John Francis Murphy, N.A. (American, 1853–1921)

Self-taught painter known for Tonalist landscapes of New York, New Jersey, and New England. Early work included billboards and theater backdrops in Chicago, and he later sketched in the Adirondacks, where he met Winslow Homer. A 1886 trip to France deepened his appreciation for the Barbizon painters, influencing his middle-period and later Tonalist style.

Murphy exhibited widely, including at the National Academy of Design, Boston Art Club, and Paris Exposition, and received the Hallgarten Prize in 1885. His works are held in over 50 museums, including the Smithsonian, National Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Art Institute of Chicago.