Murray Percival Bewley, generally considered the leading Texas portraitist of the twentieth century. He was born to a prominent Fort Worth family on June 19, 1894 in Fort Worth Texas. Bewley received his first art training in Forth Worth and then in Chicago at the Art Institute, the National Academy of Design in New York and the Pennsylvania Fine Art Academy in Philadelphia. Bewley studied with William Meritt Chase, Robert Henri and Celia Beaux. He was a member of the Mystic Art Club, Mystic Conn.; Salmagundi Club, New York and Allied Artist of America, Paris.

Bewley exhibited at the Salmagundi Club in 1921 and was awarded a prize. He was awarded a prize at the 1943 Sacramento, California Exhibition. He also exhibited at the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Fine Art Academy, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Bewley finally settled in Paris as a professional portrait and figure painter. He became a regular exhibitor at the Paris Salons and was awarded prizes in 1908, 1909 and 1910. He continued exhibiting at Salons through 1914. Sometime in the early 191O's, Bewely returned to Fort Worth to paint portraits and sympathetic genre subjects. He then returned permanently to New York to paint and teach.