Taylor Graham

Abby Taylor’s grandfather Simka Simkhovich emigrated from Russia to New York, a celebrated artist who evolved into an ‘American Scene’ artist and WPA-commissioned mural painter. Her father and mentor, Donald Purdy, an artist himself, was a dynamic private dealer of American and European works. He dealt equally in American and European art but was also renowned for his style of dealing in art and what at that time was termed being“ a horse trader”. While he traded works of art between galleries in New York and the International art trade, much of his business was conducted at home. Abby was usually present from an early age onward to the deals being done, previews with her father at auction houses and knowledge attainable on art only through experience of handling it.