(b ?Scotland, 1663; d London, June 1, 1735). ?Scottish painter. He was active in London, where he studied with a member of the de Critz family before becoming a pupil of John Riley, much of whose style he assimilated. His more satisfactory portraits date from the 1690s and include William Dampier (c. 1697–8; London, NPG) and Edmund Halley (c. 1695; London, Royal Soc.) as well as the full-length portrait of Thomas Doggett (c. 1692; Sherbourne Castle, Dorset, Col. Simon Wingfield Digby). The portrait of Doggett, sharply observed in the manner of Riley, shows him in the role of Nincompoop in D’Urfey’s Love for Money, the earliest known English portrait of an actor in character before a scenic backdrop. Murray’s portraits of women were far less successful. Towards 1700 he attempted a more elegant if somewhat flaccid style, as in Richard Waller (c. 1700–11; London, Royal Soc.). His increasing dependence on studio assistance led to a serious loss in individuality, particularly in the mass production of ceremonial full-length portraits....