William Henry Hunt, The Irish Orange Girl, dated 1835

The Irish Orange Girl

Currently untraced

Watercolor, bodycolor, and gum arabic with scratching out

12 X 8 in., 30.5 X 20 cm.

Signed and dated, l.r., W. HUNT 1835

 

Provenance:

James Orrock (s) Chr. 2 July 1904 (p) 40 gns.;

With Richard Haworth, Blackburn, England (dealer);

William Yates;

The late William Yates (S) Sotheby's London, 19 Oct 1967, Lot 28 (P) £85, $238 Leger (London dealer);

(S) Sotheby's Belgravia, 19 Oct 1968 (p) Leger Galleries for £80;

With Leger Galleries, London, England, by whom sold for £150 in 1968;

Mrs. R. Goldsmith, by whom acquired in 1968;

Stolen c. 1987;

(S) Sotheby's London, 16 July 1987, Lot 194 (P) Bought In;

A descendant of Mrs. R. Goldsmith (S) Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, England, (s) 4 June 2008, lot no. 84 (p) £4,500;

With Lowell Libson [London dealer]

 

Exhibited:

Blackburn Municipal Art Gallery, Blackburn, England, 1907, No. 107.

 

If William Henry Hunt painted this nicely finished watercolor of a girl illuminated by candlelight without the benefit of a model, the final painting did not seem to suffer much from her absence. She still has a lively expression, just as well executed as one finds in Hunt's other watercolors. The title is certainly not the one Hunt gave to this painting. The oranges on the table were included by the artist to add some color and as an excuse for the artist to show his skill at depicting how light falls against round forms. It is inconceivable that Hunt intended to make any political statement through this straightforward picture of a girl.

Done