William Henry Hunt, Blowing Bubble (c. 1835)

Blowing Bubbles

Private collection

Watercolor and bodycolor with scratching out

17 X 10 inches, 43.18 X 25.40 cm.

 

Provenance:

c. 1930, with Richard Haworth (dealer), Blackburn, England

(S) Phillips, Knowle, England, 22 Nov 2000, Lot 40 (P) £1,500*, $2,410* by the present owner.

 

Hunt painted at least four watercolors which show boys blowing bubbles. All were probably painted in the 1830s. In this example from about 1835, the boy (John Swain at about age 9) holds a clay pipe such as those so often seen in Hunt's work and stares at the soap bubble floating above. Hunt seems to have painted this work rather quickly, as seen from the use of broad strokes of watercolor in the clothing and the lack of detailed stippling as usually seen in his figure paintings. The reason may be that the model had to hold his head in an awkward position and would have to remain in that pose until the artist completed the entire painting. So, with Hunt at least, a model's complaints of stiffness or pain in his neck could have resulted in more spontaneous painting by the artist.

Done