Wooden Eagle c. 1939

Henry Murphy made this 'Wooden Eagle' without a date, and I love the way he lets the process show. Check out how the texture and colour work in this image, there’s a real tension between the blue ground, and the warm grey of the eagle itself. The paint is applied thinly, but there are so many details. Look at the feathers – see how each one is so carefully carved out, how they almost feel like individual brushstrokes? It's like Murphy is showing us the work that goes into seeing. I love the way the eagle’s beak is slightly open, as if it’s about to say something. This simple gesture lends it such a sense of life and possibility. The whole thing has this folk-art feel, it reminds me of some of the great American painters like Marsden Hartley, who were always looking for ways to make art that felt real and true. It’s a reminder that art is always a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas.