Masterpieces from Chagall to Matisse fill the Murray home
Stepping inside the home of Colette and Dick Murray is like entering a high-end art gallery. The difference is that nothing here is for sale.
A Marc Chagall triptych, consisting of three large, colored, signed and numbered lithographs from his “The Story of Exodus” portfolio, greets visitors in the foyer. It includes his famous “Moses and the Burning Bush,” and is the first of many museum-quality pieces in the Murray collection.
Rounding the corner into the living room, one’s attention is immediately drawn to the so-called “Calder Wall” that displays five Alexander Calder signed and numbered lithographs, and a Calder Studio mobile. “I find that a collection of related pieces displayed together allows the eye to travel comfortably,” Colette says. “The pieces don’t have to be by the same artist; they can relate by color, genre or similar themes. And it is important to choose a wall background color to enhance the beauty of the art.” Colette notes that as a young child, she knew Alexander Calder when their families lived near each other in Berkeley. She also knew Ansel Adams and has a personal postcard from him along with three of his photolithographs, which are prominently displayed in the breakfast room…