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Masonic Drawing for Joseph Fish Senior in Frame
1818
William Murray (1756-1828)
USA: New York, Montgomery County (likely)
a: Watercolor on paper; b: wood, paint, paper, metal, ink
b: 10-15/16"h x 9-7/8"w x 3/8"d
Museum Purchase
2018.019a-b

Masonic Drawing for Joseph Fish Senior in frame. a: Watercolor painting features Masonic symbols, all in shades of pink, blue, and brown. Inside a rectangular frame featuring a repeating, stylized floral design: at top, all-seeing eye with semi-circular edging of two blue lines around it; below this, a wreath with a circle inside it, within which is a design featuring three steps, two columns, and an arch with a keystone at top that has a "G" hanging from it and a square and compasses with a sun in the center below; inside wreath to PL, a spade and a mallet with a crescent moon above, and to PR, a plumb and two crossed keys with seven stars above; below steps, a coffin. Outside wreath, an ark (top PL corner), a ladder, (top PR corner), an anchor (bottom PR corner), and an urn (possibly) (bottom PL corner). Next to anchor, the calligraphic text, "Drawn"; next to urn, "FOR". Below this, between two sets of blue and tan lines, "JOSEPH" [interrupted by circle with mnemonic and level] FISH Senr". Below this, another rectangular panel with hourglass and text, "BY WIL [m, as superscript text]" on PR, and "MURRAY" and five-point star on PL; at center under overlaid circle, "March 13, 1818.". Circle overlaid over center of these two sections features level at middle and a surround of the mnemonic, "H · T · W · S · S · T · K · S". b, OBVERSE: Frame is of brown painted wood; inner, beveled face is painted reddish-brown with irregularly-shaped black stripes; outer face, which has slightly concave shape to it, is painted a mustard color. b, REVERSE: Untreated wood of frame has four dark grey metal nail heads sticking out of it, two at top and two at bottom; applied across back is a white paper backing with a large, white rectangular sticker with the black text, "[angel playing bugle] MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART / [crossed out with black ink:] 49 WEST 53 ST. NEW YORK, N.Y. 10019 / [crossed out with black ink:] (212) 581-2474 / title: MASONIC DRAWINGS FOR JOSEPH FISH SENIOR / artist: William Murray date: March 13, 1818 / medium: Watercolor on Paper / exhibition title: William Murray and His School / dates: 12/6/90-5/27/91 cat #" and stamped in black ink in upper PL corner of sticker, [inside rectangle:] "MUSEUM OF / AMERICAN / FOLK · ART / [line] / ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES / 61 WEST 62ND STREET / NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10023". Small yellow sticker to PL of this reads "171777 / 313" in black ink, and at top PR corner of backing, circular white sticker has "PHOTO DONE" printed on it in black ink. Handwritten in lower PL corner in pencil, "525". Affixed to either side of frame about 3" from top are two silver-colored metal D-rings for hanging.


For further information, Blog post, March 5, 2019, https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2019/03/new-to-the-collection-watercolor-mark-degree-record-made-for-joseph-fish.html