American Art Collaborative

The bold, simplified forms of the matchbox, safety razor, and fountain pen showcase Gerald Murphy's training in mechanical drawing, as well as his interest in the flattened space of cubist painting. His depiction of consumer products-particularly the recently invented safety razor-precedes the later use of commercial imagery by pop artists of the 1960s. Murphy was a member of the Lost Generation, the group of artistically minded Americans who colonized Paris between the two world wars. His exposure to modern art at gallery exhibitions-and subsequent friendships with Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, and Igor Stravinsky-convinced him to become a painter himself. After studying with the Russian painter and designer Natalia Goncharova, Murphy embarked upon a short-lived career.