STEEL RIGGERS, BAY BRIDGE #2, c. 1935

Lithograph; 15.5" X 11.75"

1941.1.44

Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray State University

Steel Riggers, Bay Bridge #2 is one print from a series by Arthur Murphy that was commissioned by the Northern California Federal Art Project. The series documents the construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which began in July of 1933 and took 40 months to complete. Murphy’s fluid lines and massive, muscled figures emphasize the strength and movement of the dedicated workers.

About the Artist | Classroom Ideas | Links

About the Artist

Arthur Murphy was born in Tiffin, Ohio, in 1906. He attended the Art Students League in New York and the California School of Fine Arts, then worked as a cartoonist in New York and Chicago before moving to California in the 1930s. In San Francisco, he was employed by the Public Works of Art Program and by the Northern California Division of the Federal Art Project.

Murphy was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 and was assigned to a public relations office at an Australian base. Upon his return to the United States, he taught life drawing and anatomy at the Whitney School of Art and art history at Quinnipiac College, both in New Haven, Connecticut.

Murphy’s work is found in the collections of several important museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: During his career, Murphy worked both as a cartoonist and as a professor of life drawing and anatomy. Do you see evidence of these professions in Steel Riggers? Why do you think Murphy has portrayed the workers as such behemoth figures?

Activity: In Steel Riggers, Murphy successfully conveys a sense of movement and exertion on behalf of the workers. Draw a composition that focuses on some sort of physical activity such as athletics, dance, construction, or other manual labor. When you have finished your drawing, discuss some of the difficulties you encountered in the creation of your work and how you were able to overcome them.