William Henry Hunt, Still Life with Grapes, Plums, and a Peach, Painted 1861, Exhibited 1862

Still Life with Grapes, Plums, and a Peach

Private Collection

Watercolor, bodycolor, and gum arabic

7 1/4 X 9 1/4 in., 18.4 X 23.5 cm (Oval)

Signed, l.r., W. Hunt

 

Provenance:

Probably, Charles Maw by 1862;

W. Walters by 1870;

W. Naylor, Londale Hill, Darby, England, by 1893.

(S) Bonhams, London, 27 June 2001, Lot 27 (P) £2,800*, $4,517 by the present owner

 

Exhibited:

1862, London, Society of Painters in Water-colours, Spring Exhibition, probably No. 297 (Grapes and Peach) ;

1862, London, International Exhibition, N0. 1055 (Fruit), lent by C. Maw;

1862, London, Royal Academy, No. 305;

1870, Derby, England, Fine Art Exhibition, No. 10;

1893, Derby, England, Corporation Art Gallery, Summer Exhibition.

 

A label on the reverse of the work states:

"Painted in the Summer & Autumn of 1861 and exhibited in the Spring of 1862. W. Hunt told our mutual friend Mr. Thos. Barber that he would stake his expectation [reputation] on this Bunch of Grapes - after which he took it down to his country house in Ham Hill & there added the Peach...."

 

 

Since Hunt did not date his still life watercolors during the years when most of them were painted (none from 1840 - 1859 and few thereafter) and since the artist's methods and style of painting did not vary much from the 1840s until his death in 1864, it is extremely difficult to date much of his output of still lifes. This fine, late example, however, is inscribed on the back with information about its creation, as set forth above. If the extremely high quality of this piece is representative of that of his final works, Hunt's execution and use of color actually improved late in life.

Done