(American, b. 1869 - d. 1950)

Born in 1869, Hurley was the son of Irish immigrants and one of seven children. His decision to pursue art didn’t come until after he had graduated from Xavier College in 1887. It was a visit to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago that inspired him to attend evening classes at the Art Academy, where he studied painting with renowned artist Frank Duveneck. Impressed by his pen-and-ink drawings, Duveneck suggested that Hurley try his hand at etching, and proceeded to teach him the complicated processes involved in creating a print.

Hurley went to work as a decorator at Rookwood Pottery in 1896 and remained there for 52 years. He painted landscapes and nature scenes on ceramic pieces, winning a gold medal during the St. Louis 1904 exhibition. In 1907 he married Irene Bishop, a fellow decorator at Rookwood, and the couple bought a home on St. James Avenue in Walnut Hills. It was on the third floor of this house that Hurley set up his own printing press, once owned by the notorious counterfeiter Charles Ulrich, and began printing his etchings.

While Hurley painted scenes from nature on ceramics during the day, the etchings he created at home were of local scenes, especially in and around Mt. Adams. He created these works primarily as a way to boost his income, and they sold so well that he eventually created over 2,000 of them. Commercial prints were in high demand at this time, and Hurley’s were snapped up by a fast-growing urban, entertainment-seeking class who wished to fill their homes with flattering images of their hometown.

Despite managing two artistic careers, Hurley managed to spend his weekend afternoons painting for pleasure in the hills of Kentucky. It was this activity that he did purely for his own pleasure. He also created some bronze works, and for a time produced his own crayons and etching powders. He regularly opened his studio to artists and visitors and loved demonstrating his press for curious onlookers.