Sir David Murray ARSA 1849-1933

Born in 1849, slightly older and outside of the body of young artists grouped as the Glasgow School, David Murray after 11 years of commercial life, early became known both in Scotland and England as one of the foremost landscape painters. It appears that he was financially successful even from his first exhibited works in the Glasgow Institute, and in 1881, when 32 years of age was elected an Associate member of the Royal Scottish Academy.

Three years after this election he settled in London and in 1891 was elected A.R. A., and Academician ten years later. He was created Knight in 1918, Honorary Member of the Scottish Academy in 1919, and LL.D. of Glasgow University on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

His landscapes, usually large and very high in key, at least latterly, were drawn mostly from Scotland and the Lake District, the tree fringed riversides of the South of England and from Picardy, where he worked in 1886. To achieve his high pitch of colour tempera was occasionally used or tempera combined with oil.

From an early period in his career he worked in water-colours and was a foundation member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water-Colours. In London he was for long a member of the Old Water-Colour Society, and in 1917 was chosen President of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water-Colours. 

Socially very popular, he had a varied and wide circle of friends many of whom figured in his "Memories," which appeared in the London press a few years ago. He never married.

A strenuous worker - the story is told how he used to rise at 4:00 a.m., when in business, to paint before beginning his work at 8:30 - he has expressed his passionate interest in landscape art by his great request to the Royal Academy to found a school for landscape painting. In addition to a legacy to the Royal Institute Sir David left a choice of pictures to various bodies, amongst them the Royal Scottish Academy.

RSA Obituary, transcribed from the 1933 RSA Annual Report