William Henry Hunt, A Dead Wood Pigeon with Sprigs of Holly, Exhibited 1860

A Dead Wood Pigeon with Sprigs of Holly

Private collection

Watercolor and bodycolor

10 1/2 X 15 3/4inches; 26.7 X 40 cm

Signed, lower right, W. Hunt

 

 

Provenance:

Dr. Robert Wade;

Estate of Dr. Robert Wade (S) Christie's 9 Mar 1872 (P) £210 Vokins;

William Quilter (S) Christie's London 8 April 1875, Lot 223 (P) Bought In at 165 gns.;

(S) Christie's London, 12 June 1973, Lot 112 (P) 100 gns, $263 Hogg;

(S) Sotheby's , 24 Sep 1987, Lot 129 (P) £240 by the present owner

 

 

While paintings of dead birds may no longer be favorite subjects for decorating one's home, Hunt seemed to enjoy painting such subjects. This beautifully colored and very obviously dead pigeon once belonged to Hunt's personal physician, Dr. Wade, who apparently treated the artist in return for the still life watercolors he used to decorate the lobby of his office. One can only hope that Dr. Wade was wise enough not to decorate with this example -- even in 1860 it's a safe bet that patients wouldn't appreciate glaring at something dead while waiting to see their doctor.

 

John Ruskin owned a very similar still life with a dead pigeon by Hunt. It is interesting that, of all the outstanding Hunts Ruskin was able to exhibit at the Fine Art Society in 1779-1780, he chose his dead pigeon as one of the handful of illustration (in a black and white engraving) for the catalogue of the exhibition. While these watercolors of dead birds and game can be attractive in their coloring, it is hard to see why the famous critic would feel any of them worthy of reproduction in black and white.

Done