A Graduate of Pomona
Fig. 17A William Henry Hunt, The Kitchen of an Old Farm House, c. 1833
The Kitchen of an Old Farm House
Private collection
Watercolor, bodycolor, and gum arabic with scratching out
13.78 X 23.62 in., 35 X 60 cm.
Signed, l.l., W. HUNT
Provenance:
Charles Steedman (the husband of Hunt's sister, Sophia) (S) Foster's, London, 9 Feb 1859, Lot 142 [13 1/2 X 24 in.] (P) £26 5s., Gambart;
Perhaps the Estate of William Leaf (S) Christie's London, 6 May1875, Lot 454 [Interior of a Rustic Kitchen with a Lady Peeling Potatoes, 15 1/2 X 21 in.] (P) £94 10s. Agnew;
(S) Gildings Auctioneers, Leicestershire, England, 19 April 2016, Lot 315 (P) £2,600, $ 3,742
The setting for this watercolor is the same as the one which appears in the Cottage Fireplace at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Changes had obviously been made in the interval of time separating the two works, but it is hard to say if the more stark space around the fireplacem, with some breakage on the right in the Huntington picture was remodeled by covering it with wood or if the wood around the fireplace here was removed, with the damage occurring or being revealed. Based on style alone, which is of dubious worth since Hunt's style did not markedly change over time, I would think that this is an earlier view of the room.
This was one of 66 works by Hunt (many only sketches) which were sold in 1859, after the death of the the artist's brother-in-law, Charles Steedman. The auction catalogue for the sale stated that "this important drawing may be considered one of Mr. Hunt's best works," and it did, in fact, realize the highest price of all the artist's watercolors in the sale.
The woman, who is peeling turnips, may be an image of Hunt's mother-in-law, since it seems likely that this rustic kitchen was part of the farm house owned by Sarah Hunt's father, Daniel Holloway. Late in Hunt's life, this farm, near Bramley, England, was owned by the artist.
The authors of the Courtauld catalogue cite this watercolor as being painted by Hunt close in time to No. 15 in the exhibit. While the two works have similar subject mattes, this is the only one which was painted in the early 1830s. Only an error by Sir John Witt which was adopted by the Courtauld authors supported the claim that they are related in time as well.
Fig. 17A William Henry Hunt, The Kitchen of an Old Farm House, c. 1833
The Kitchen of an Old Farm House
Private collection
Watercolor, bodycolor, and gum arabic with scratching out
13.78 X 23.62 in., 35 X 60 cm.
Signed, l.l., W. HUNT
Provenance:
Charles Steedman (the husband of Hunt's sister, Sophia) (S) Foster's, London, 9 Feb 1859, Lot 142 [13 1/2 X 24 in.] (P) £26 5s., Gambart;
Perhaps the Estate of William Leaf (S) Christie's London, 6 May1875, Lot 454 [Interior of a Rustic Kitchen with a Lady Peeling Potatoes, 15 1/2 X 21 in.] (P) £94 10s. Agnew;
(S) Gildings Auctioneers, Leicestershire, England, 19 April 2016, Lot 315 (P) £2,600, $ 3,742
The setting for this watercolor is the same as the one which appears in the Cottage Fireplace at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Changes had obviously been made in the interval of time separating the two works, but it is hard to say if the more stark space around the fireplacem, with some breakage on the right in the Huntington picture was remodeled by covering it with wood or if the wood around the fireplace here was removed, with the damage occurring or being revealed. Based on style alone, which is of dubious worth since Hunt's style did not markedly change over time, I would think that this is an earlier view of the room.
This was one of 66 works by Hunt (many only sketches) which were sold in 1859, after the death of the the artist's brother-in-law, Charles Steedman. The auction catalogue for the sale stated that "this important drawing may be considered one of Mr. Hunt's best works," and it did, in fact, realize the highest price of all the artist's watercolors in the sale.
The woman, who is peeling turnips, may be an image of Hunt's mother-in-law, since it seems likely that this rustic kitchen was part of the farm house owned by Sarah Hunt's father, Daniel Holloway. Late in Hunt's life, this farm, near Bramley, England, was owned by the artist.
The authors of the Courtauld catalogue cite this watercolor as being painted by Hunt close in time to No. 15 in the exhibit. While the two works have similar subject mattes, this is the only one which was painted in the early 1830s. Only an error by Sir John Witt which was adopted by the Courtauld authors supported the claim that they are related in time as well.