A Graduate of Pomona
12. Study for a Gun Hold with a Sketch of a Man's Head
Study for a Gun Hold with a Sketch of a Man's Head
England, Private collection
Pen and ink with waterclor
13 X 13 1/3 in., 33 X 34 cm.
The authors of the Courtauld catalogue state that the study for the man's head in the lower right corner of this preperatory sketch does not correspond to any finished work by Hunt. In fact, it is clearly a study for a watercolor of a sportsman which was sold at Christie's in 2011 (fig 12a). The finished watercolor is closely related to another of Hunt's early works, the larger and more finished Sporting Gentleman (exhibited 1827), which, despite being the most advanced watercolor by the artist from the 1820s, has remained on the art market since 1985 without finding a new, permanent home. See fig 12b.
Studies from life, such as this, are rare amongst Hunt's drawing. The artist drew a large number of very crude images, most of which are little more than doodles. A very few of the artist's rough drawings are actual compositional sketches which were ultimately used for finished watercolors. But this drawing and a handful of others were drawn as true studies for finished paintings, i.e., detailed images which would literally be copied by the artist when he later painted his finished watercolors. The existence of such studies disproves the notion that Hunt would, without exception, only work directly from life, with all elements of his composition situated in front of the artist during the entire time it took for him to paint his finished watercolors. I have speculated in the past that Hunt rarely made finished sketches for figures in his compositions as accommodations to certain sitters, such as the Earl of Essex, the owner of Cassiobury Park, who were unwilling to pose for more than a short time. Hunt also made quick but detailed sketches of living animals in those rare instances in which an animal, such as a dog, was to be part of a composition. Since most animals could not be expected to hold the pose desired by the artist, Hunt, of necessity, resorted to the traditional method of working from sketches instead of painting exclusively from life. But Hunt seem to have only used sketches, such as this example from the Country People exhibition, from the mid-1820s to mid-1830s. In later years, he truly did work only from life, much as early photographers would capture in photographs only those objects actually present and arranged in front of their cameras.
12. Study for a Gun Hold with a Sketch of a Man's Head
Study for a Gun Hold with a Sketch of a Man's Head
England, Private collection
Pen and ink with waterclor
13 X 13 1/3 in., 33 X 34 cm.
The authors of the Courtauld catalogue state that the study for the man's head in the lower right corner of this preperatory sketch does not correspond to any finished work by Hunt. In fact, it is clearly a study for a watercolor of a sportsman which was sold at Christie's in 2011 (fig 12a). The finished watercolor is closely related to another of Hunt's early works, the larger and more finished Sporting Gentleman (exhibited 1827), which, despite being the most advanced watercolor by the artist from the 1820s, has remained on the art market since 1985 without finding a new, permanent home. See fig 12b.
Studies from life, such as this, are rare amongst Hunt's drawing. The artist drew a large number of very crude images, most of which are little more than doodles. A very few of the artist's rough drawings are actual compositional sketches which were ultimately used for finished watercolors. But this drawing and a handful of others were drawn as true studies for finished paintings, i.e., detailed images which would literally be copied by the artist when he later painted his finished watercolors. The existence of such studies disproves the notion that Hunt would, without exception, only work directly from life, with all elements of his composition situated in front of the artist during the entire time it took for him to paint his finished watercolors. I have speculated in the past that Hunt rarely made finished sketches for figures in his compositions as accommodations to certain sitters, such as the Earl of Essex, the owner of Cassiobury Park, who were unwilling to pose for more than a short time. Hunt also made quick but detailed sketches of living animals in those rare instances in which an animal, such as a dog, was to be part of a composition. Since most animals could not be expected to hold the pose desired by the artist, Hunt, of necessity, resorted to the traditional method of working from sketches instead of painting exclusively from life. But Hunt seem to have only used sketches, such as this example from the Country People exhibition, from the mid-1820s to mid-1830s. In later years, he truly did work only from life, much as early photographers would capture in photographs only those objects actually present and arranged in front of their cameras.