John Francis Murphy (Father: Martin Francis Murphy; Mother: Hannah Gregory; Spouse: Adah Clifford Smith, also a painter) | (1853–1921) was an American landscape painter widely recognized as one of the premier figures of the American Tonalist movement. Often referred to by critics of his era as “the American Corot,” Murphy was celebrated for his poetic, moody, and atmospheric depictions of quiet meadows, barren fields, and autumn twilight.
Born in upstate New York, Murphy moved to Chicago as a teenager, where he found work painting advertising billboards and theater backdrops. He was primarily a self-taught artist, receiving only a few weeks of formal training at the Chicago Academy of Design. In 1874, he moved to New York City to work as an illustrator while struggling to establish himself as a fine artist.