Tavern Figure 1935 - 1942

Henry Murphy made this intriguing watercolor painting, Tavern Figure, on paper. Looking at it, I can almost smell the ale and hear the raucous laughter of a crowded tavern. I wonder, was Murphy sitting in a tavern sketching? Did he know this figure, observe him over many evenings? The smooth texture of the paint gives such a sculptural quality, especially in the folds of his brown jacket and the contours of his face. The red scarf, a slash of color, draws the eye. He really captures light with the different colors and textures. It makes me think about the work of other artists, like the unflinching portraits of, say, Thomas Rowlandson, who also were capturing that era. Whether fact or fantasy, this Tavern Figure invites us into a world of merriment and perhaps a little bit of mischief. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation, borrowing and building on each other's visions.