Arthur Murch (1902-1989)

Arthur Murch, a Sydney based painter, trained under Dattilo Rubbo and the sculptor Raynor Hoff in the early 1920s. Murch is renowned for his ability to recreate luminosity in paint. He won the NSW Society of Artists Travelling Art Scholarship in 1925 and worked as a studio assistant to George Lambert before travelling throughout Europe in the 1930s. He was appointed Official War Artist in 1942 and won the Archibald prize in 1949. Under Lambert, Murch developed a romantic style of painting. His paintings portray an idyllic version of Australian life, depicting a playful Arcadian seaside existence. His beach paintings of Thirroul and Avalon in NSW were popular in the 1940s and 50s and promote a simple and untroubled way of life. Experimenting with colour, pattern and light, Murch developed a distinctive style. He was a skilful figure painter and favourite subjects included beach picnics, tender mother and child images, and Greek myths such as Leda and the Swan. Murch is represented in the National Gallery of Australia and the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, and all State and many regional galleries.

click here for Arthur Murch's biography
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Ref: Ria Murch, ‘Arthur Murch: An Artist’s Life 1902 – 1989’, Ruskin Rowe Press, Avalon, 1997
‘Arthur Murch 1902 – 1989: A Painting Retrospective’, Art Museum Armidale, 1992

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