Gerald Murphy

Gerald Clery Murphy (March 26, 1888 – October 17, 1964) was an American painter and socialite born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of Patrick Francis Murphy (1858–1931), associated with the Mark Cross Company, a seller of fine leather goods. Murphy displayed an early interest in the arts and was characterized by an aesthetic sensibility. Despite his background, he was not comfortable with the corporate or social expectations of his upbringing.

Murphy experienced academic challenges, failing to pass Yale University’s entrance exams three times before eventually matriculating. During his time at Yale, he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Skull and Bones society. He developed a friendship with Cole Porter, a fellow student, and played a role in introducing Porter to Yale musical theater.

Sara Sherman Wiborg (November 7, 1883 – October 10, 1975) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, into the Wiborg family. Her father, Frank Bestow Wiborg, was a self-made millionaire and owner of a manufacturing chemist business specializing in printing ink and varnishes. Her mother, Adeline Sherman Wiborg, was related to notable figures including Senator John Sherman and General William Tecumseh Sherman. During her adolescence, Sara and her sisters, Hoytie and Olga, spent several years in Germany, where they engaged in singing at social gatherings. Upon returning to the United States, the Wiborg family resided in New York City and later in East Hampton, New York. In 1912, they built a large estate called The Dunes near the Maidstone Club; Wiborg Beach in East Hampton is named after the family.

Murphy and Wiborg met during their youth in East Hampton, initially more as friends than romantic partners. Murphy was five years younger than Wiborg. Their engagement took place in 1915 when Sara was 32. Their families were reportedly disapproving of the marriage; Sara’s family opposed her marrying "in trade," and Murphy’s family was not supportive of his endeavors. Following their marriage, they lived initially at 50 West 11th Street in New York City and had three children. In 1921, seeking to escape familial disapproval and societal constraints, the Murphys moved to Paris.

In Paris, Gerald Murphy pursued painting, and the couple began cultivating a social circle that included many prominent artists and writers of the 1920s, particularly associated with the Lost Generation. They later relocated to the French Riviera, where they became influential hosts. The Murphys established Villa America in Cap d'Antibes and played a pivotal role in transforming the Riviera into a summer cultural hub. They are credited with popularizing sunbathing as a fashionable activity on the beaches of La Garoupe, introducing a pastime that was previously uncommon in the region.

Gerald Murphy's artistic activity was concentrated from 1921 until 1929, during which he produced hard-edged still life paintings in a Precisionist and Cubist style. His works often contained pop culture imagery, including mundane objects sourced from American commercial products and advertising. Notable pieces include Razor (1924) and Watch (1925), with the former and other works housed at the Dallas Museum of Art. Murphy was a friend of Pablo Picasso, who painted several portraits of Sara Murphy in 1923, including Femme assise en bleu et rose and Buste de Femme.

In 1929, the Murphy family faced personal tragedies when their son Patrick was diagnosed with tuberculosis and later died in 1937, and their other son Baoth died in 1935 from meningitis. Gerald Murphy ceased painting after 1929 and took over as president of the family’s company, Mark Cross, from 1934 to 1956, residing mostly in Manhattan. Sara Murphy moved to Saranac Lake to care for Patrick during his illness.

Gerald Murphy died in East Hampton in 1964, shortly after his friend Cole Porter, and Sara Wiborg Murphy passed away in Arlington, Virginia, in 1975. Their lives and social circle inspired characters in works such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night, and they remain subjects of biographies and cultural studies. The Murphy papers are archived at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and some objects from the Mark Cross Company are held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.