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Edwin Murray MacKay

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Edwin Murray MacKay
MacKay in 1907
Born(1869-09-29)September 29, 1869
Sebewaing, Michigan
DiedFebruary 28, 1926(1926-02-28) (aged 56)
Detroit
Resting placeEvergreen Cemetery, Detroit
EducationDetroit Museum of Art School

Edwin Murray MacKay (September 29, 1869 – February 28, 1926) was an American painter from Michigan.[1]

Biography

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Edwin Murray MacKay was born in Sebewaing, Michigan on September 29, 1869. He initially studied at the Detroit Museum of Art School, the art school affiliated with a predecessor of today's Detroit Institute of Arts, and later studied in New York and Paris under Kenyon Cox and Jean-Paul Laurens respectively.[2] MacKay lived and maintained a studio in Paris around the turn of the 20th century, and was known for his portraits.[3]

MacKay wrote an essay in 1921 in Michigan History Magazine, arguing that the state of Michigan should fund a new war memorial and historical library in Lansing.[4] MacKay died of cancer in Detroit on February 28, 1926.[5] Following his death, his widow Frances Woods MacKay donated his painting "A Japanese Print" to the Detroit Institute of Arts.[6]

Works

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MacKay painted multiple portraits of Michigan Supreme Court justices in the early 20th century. The portraits include those of Justices Grant Fellows, Aaron V. McAlvay, Russell C. Ostrander, and Joseph H. Steere, some of which remain on display in the Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing.[7][8][9][10]

Portrait of Michigan Governor Albert Sleeper, ca. 1920

MacKay painted the official portrait of Michigan Governor Albert Sleeper around 1920, which is on display in the Michigan State Capitol. The Michigan State Capitol Commission considers MacKay's portrait of Sleeper to represent a turning point in the official portraits of Michigan governors, marking a transition to a more artistic and expressive style.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "A Group of Paintings by Murray MacKay". Bulletin of the Detroit Museum of Art. 1 (15): 8. October 1907 – via JSTOR.
  2. ^ Gibson, Arthur Hopkin; Bassett, Beverly; Spang, Jean (1975). Artists of early Michigan: a biographical dictionary of artists native to or active in Michigan, 1701-1900. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 165.
  3. ^ "Pictures Worth While: Detroit Artist's Work on Exhibition At Art Museum". Detroit Free Press. October 27, 1907. p. 5.
  4. ^ Murray MacKay, Edwin (1921). "Michigan's Memorial and Historical Building". Michigan History Magazine. 5 (1): 186–193.
  5. ^ "Murray M'Kay, Artist, Is Dead: Cancer Is Fatal to Noted Detroit Portrait Painter; Funeral to Be Tuesday". Detroit Free Press. March 1, 1926. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  6. ^ "Detroit Institute of Arts Lists Accessions for 1928". The Art News. 27 (22): 16. March 2, 1929. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
  7. ^ "Grant Fellows". Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
  8. ^ "Russell Ostrander". Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
  9. ^ "Aaron McAlvay". Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
  10. ^ "Joseph Steere". Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
  11. ^ "Capitol Portrait Collection". Michigan State Capitol Commission. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
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