Seamus Murphy

Born 15 July 1907
Died 2 October 1975

Active: 1921 - 1975

Country of birth and death: Ireland

Sculptor, stonemason

Born at Greenhills, Burnfort near Mallow, Co. Cork. He began studying modelling in 1921 at the Crawford School of Art. Between 1922-30 he was an apprentice stone-carver at John Aloysius O'Connor's Art Marble Works, Watercourse Road, Blackpool, Cork where he specialised in architectural and foliage carving. Murphy continued to attend the Crawford School of Art by night. 1931 awarded Gibson Bequest Scholarship and in 1932-3 travelled to Paris and attended the Académie Colarossi with the Irish-American sculptor, Andrew O'Connor. On returning to Blackpool he opened a studio and stoneyard and began exhibiting at home and abroad. In 1944 he married Maighread Higgins, daughter of the sculptor Joseph Higgins (1885-1925). He was elected Associate member of the RHA in 1944 and a full member in 1954. Appointed Professor of Sculpture at the RHA in 1964. Murphy died in Cork and was buried in Rathcooney, Co. Cork.

Citing this record

'Seamus Murphy', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib3_1256769041, accessed 02 Apr 2023]