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The Blue Veil (1.2.3.4.5.7. VI 1970) (1970)

John Murphy

acrylic on canvas

Tate, London, Liverpool and St Ives

The Blue Veil (1.2.3.4.5.7. VI 1970) (1970)

Photo credit: Tate

Details

Classification:

Painting

Materials:

Acrylic, Canvas

Physical Object Description:

Inscribed on reverse ‘MURPHY I.VI 70/2, 3, 4, 5, 7’ and ‘MURPHY 196 (9?)-70 VILLEFRANCHE 36 × 48’, partially obscured by paint on overlap. Acrylic on cotton canvas, 36 × 40 1/2 (91.5 × 102.2). One of a series of monochrome paintings made between 1968–71.

Dimensions:

91.4 x 101.9 cm

Accession Number:

T03341

Credit:

Presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1982

Ownership history:

Purchased from the artist at Modern Art Oxford by Sir Alan Bowness (1928-2021) the Contemporary Art Society, 1972; presented to Tate, 1982

Subject:

Monochrome, Blues

One of a series of four out of six surviving monochrome paintings made by John Murphy between 1968-71, which he started while he was still a post-graduate student at Chelsea School of Art. Two were destroyed a flood at the artist's home in 1976. The Tate canvas was purchased at the artist's solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford by Sir Alan Bowness (1928-2021) for the Contemporary Art Society in 1972. It has an inscription on the reverse indicating that the painting was worked on the precise days: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th June, 1970. The series was influenced in part by the work of Barnett Newman. It was minimal in appearance but sought to address a metaphysical rather than a physical reality and to locate themselves at the place in which words and images cohere as poetry, evoking the work of French writer Marcel Proust. An earlier pink, orange and brown painting from the same series, originally titled ’12.8.69’, and now called Passing Time (1969) is in the Arts Council Collection.

All rights reserved. Any further use will need to be cleared with the rights holder. Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending is prohibited. The collection that owns this artwork may have more information on their own website about permitted uses and image licensing options.

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