About David Murray
Lived 1849 – 1933 (aged 84). David Murray was a British painter and artist.
Sir David Murray (29 January 1849 in Glasgow, Scotland – 14 November 1933 in Marylebone, England) was a Scottish landscape painter.
Biography He was the son of a shoemaker, James Murray. He worked for eleven years for two mercantile firms, while studying in the evenings at the Glasgow School of Art under Robert Greenlees, finally devoting himself full-time to an artistic career from about 1875. He became an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1881, moving to London in 1882 where he was an immediate success. His 'My Love has gone a-Sailing' exhibited in 1884 was purchased by the Chantrey Trustees for the Tate Gallery.
In 1891 Murray was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy, and a full member of the Royal Academy in 1905. About 1886 he broadened his horizons and travelled to the continent, but all of his more characteristic work was done in Scotland or England. Murray was a member of Glasgow Art Club and exhibited in the club's annual exhibitions. He became president of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours in succession to Sir James Linton in 1917; the year before he was knighted in 1918. Murray did not marry and during the whole of his life in London, he occupied the same bachelor's quarters, a studio on Portland Place.
A portrait of Sir David Murray by the Scottish painter James Coutts Michie is held by the Aberdeen Art Gallery.
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Important facts
People in David Murray's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped David Murray's
Frequently asked questions
Who was David Murray?
Scottish landscape painter (1849-1933)
When was David Murray born?
David Murray was born on 29 January 1849 in Glasgow.
When did David Murray die?
David Murray died on 14 November 1933 in London.
What was David Murray's occupation?
David Murray was a painter and artist.
What nationality was David Murray?
David Murray was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: David Murray (painter)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Murray. https://biography.guide/david-murray-painter/
MLA: "David Murray." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-murray-painter/.
Chicago: "David Murray." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-murray-painter/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence
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