Items Similar to High School Freshman
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
Martin J. MurrayHigh School Freshman1948
1948
$9,500
£7,146.28
€8,278.63
CA$13,393.03
A$14,893.95
CHF 7,815.89
MX$181,624.52
NOK 98,795.56
SEK 92,624.77
DKK 61,790.71
About the Item
High School Freshman, 1948, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, 36 x 30 inches, exhibited 14th Annual New Year Show, Butler Art Institute, Youngstown, OH, January 1 to 30, 1949, no. 77 (listed in the catalog) (see also Watercolors Better in 1949 Show, The Binghamton Press, Binghamton, NY, January 7, 1949 (illustrated))
Martin J. Murray's High School Freshman captures an awkward, suspended moment of adolescence with a haunting mix of formality and vulnerability. The young man, dressed in a yellow sweater and oversized brown coat, stands facing a mirror, his expression distant and uncertain. His body language and gaze convey discomfort—he is caught between boyhood and manhood, dressed like an adult but still visibly awkward in the role. Behind him a Yale pennant is on the opposite wall reflecting future aspirations. The mirror’s ornate frame with curling other-worldly tendrils seemingly suggests the distorted way adolescents sometimes perceive themselves and the complexity of finding one's own character. The carefully arranged hat, tie, and towel on the chair add to the staged quality of the scene, as if the young man is being presented before he’s ready. In its composition and symbolic details, the painting evokes the confusion, self-consciousness, and unsteady formation of identity that often define the threshold of adulthood.
Martin Joseph Murray was a Rhode Island-based artist who worked in oils and watercolors. A native of Newport, Murray studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the John Frazier School of Painting in Provincetown, MA. He was a member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Club, the Art Association of Newport, the Artist's Equity Association, and College Art Association. Murray exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Fleming Museum of Art, the Rhode Island School of Design, the Butler Art Institute, and with the Providence Art Club and Newport Art Association. His work in the collection of Brown University. In addition to his fine art practice, Murray served as an art instructor, including at Vermont Junior College. Murray is listed in Who Was Who in American Art and other standard references.
- Creator:Martin J. Murray (1908 - 1997, American)
- Creation Year:1948
- Dimensions:Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
- More Editions & Sizes:36 x 30 inchesPrice: $9,500
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1859216793172
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
1stDibs seller since 2022
15 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Los Angeles, CA
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllMother Elizabeth
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mother Elizabeth, c. 1930 - 40s, tempera on Masonite, signed and titled upper left, 22 5/8 x 16 inches, artist's name inscribed verso of original frame
Ernest W. Scanes was a Mich...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Masonite, Tempera
Indian Dance
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Indian Dance, 1935, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, 30 x 24, label verso reads: “A Kutka / Indian Dance”, title and artist’s name inscribed verso together with number “12...
Category
1930s American Realist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Goldmine, Central City, Colorado
By Joseph Meert
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Goldmine, Central City, Colorado, c. 1936 - 38, oil on canvas, 28 x 36 inches, signed lower right; provenance includes Platt Fine Art, Chicago (label verso); likely original frame pa...
Category
1930s American Realist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
World War II Invades Central Park
By Cecil Crosley Bell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
World War II Invades Central Park, 1943, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 30 x 36 inches, literature: Barton, Phyllis, Cecil C. Bell, McGrew Color Graphics (Kansas City, MO, 1976),...
Category
1940s American Realist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Factory Worker
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This painting is part of our exhibition America Coast to Coast: Artists of the 1930s
Factory Worker, c. 1936, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 18 ¼ x 36 inches; exhibited in City ...
Category
1930s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Knight’s Lodging
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This painting is part of our exhibition American Coast to Coast: Artists of the 1930s
Knight’s Lodging, 1941, oil on canvas panel, signed and dated lower left, 16 x 20 inches, exhi...
Category
1940s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
You May Also Like
Film Still #4 (portrait, western movie, cowboy, Hat, shadow, monochrome art)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
With eyes obscured and hat lowered, this figure is both iconic and unknowable—a faceless cowboy adrift in a pale, open void. Kosow distills the visual codes of Americana and cinemati...
Category
2010s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Film Still #5 (Clint Eastwood, portrait, western movie, cowboy, Hat)
By Rudolf Kosow
Located in Quebec, Quebec
This restrained profile, rendered in subdued purples and dusty violets, evokes the stoic silence of the lone gunman archetype. With face partly turned away and hidden beneath a wide-...
Category
2010s American Realist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Two Happy Sisters - Portrait of two black girls - Royal
Located in Aartselaar, BE
A portrait of two young girls by the Royal Portraitist Chen Yanning.
Both the artist as well as the sitters of this magnificent portrait are from racial...
Category
19th Century American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Subway no. 4 - Beijing
Located in Burlingame, CA
BING ZHANG's Subway no. 4, 48 x 48 inches, oil on canvas. Proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California.
Bing Zhang’s Subway painting series explores themes of class, labo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Subway no. 3 - Beijing
Located in Burlingame, CA
BING ZHANG's Subway no. 3, 48 x 48 inches, oil on canvas. Proudly presented by Andra Norris Gallery in California.
Bing Zhang’s Subway painting series explores themes of class, labo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Realist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Woman in a Red Dress, Mid Century Female Illustrator/ Artist, Elizabeth Taylor ?
By Gladys Rockmore Davis
Located in Miami, FL
Mid-century female illustrator/artist Gladys Rockmore Davis paints a compelling portrait of a contemplative beauty who looks like Elizabeth Taylor. Frontal and lateral forces work together in this pyramidal composition. The sitter stares down at the viewer creating a frontal tension. Her hypnotic gaze is counterbalanced by the lateral movement of her crossed hands and triggers an emotional response. Gladys Rockmore Davis is both a work-for-hire illustrator and a fine artist- She was an illustrator for clients such as Upjohn, Munsingwear, Elgin Watches, and Johnson & Johnson. Davis had a show at the prestigious Midtown Gallery and Babcock Gallery in New York. She studied at the California School of Fine Arts, Art Institute of Chicago, and Art Students League. William R. French Gold Medal...
Category
1950s American Realist Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
