Item DC 084/2/9 - Drawing of dead leaves

Gerard V Murphy was a student at The Glasgow School of Art in the 1930s. He was born on April 10, 1914, in Hamilton, Scotland. His address is listed as 64 Chapel Street. Murphy was admitted to the GSA in September 1934 and attended classes from 1934 to 1938. He was awarded a Diploma in Drawing and Painting in 1938. According to the GSA student records regarding Murphy, he won the Robertson & Co Prize in 1935 and received a minor travel scholarship of £10 from the GSA in 1937.

He studied design, historical ornament, lettering, and bookbinding techniques, as well as drawing and painting. He primarily showed a great interest in graphic pattern design, life drawing, plant drawing, and anatomy drawing. He was also interested in printmaking using woodblocks while working as an art teacher at several schools in Scotland, including Motherwell RC High School and Coatbridge Secondary School. His artistic style, influenced by Celtic heritage, the Arts and Crafts movement, and Art Nouveau, reflects his identity as a Scotland-based artist.