William Henry Hunt, Adam's Pale Ale, dated 1836

Adam's Pale Ale

Private collection

Watercolor, bodycolor,and gum arabic

10 1/2 X 7 in.

Signed, W. HUNT, l.l. and dated 1836, l.r.

 

Provenance:

J. Stewart by 1844;

Arthur Lyons by 1868;

James Keyden by 1888;

(S) June 1988, Murray Feeley (London dealer) (P) £3,000 by the present owner.

 

Exhibited:

1868, Leeds, England, No. 2207 (Adam's Ale, lent by A.W. Lyon);

1888 Glasgow, International Exhibition, No. 1183 (Boy Drinking - a country boy by the side of a stream drinking from a brown jug, lent by James Keyden)

 

At least the humor can be discerned in this watercolor by William Henry Hunt showing a boy drinking water from a jug. Obviously, the ale in his jug is so pale that it's totally clear. But, once again, the humor which apparently qualified this picture to serve as the frontispiece of Hunt's Comic Sketches, 1844, as well as a plate within the volume, comes from the title and is rather subtile at best.

 

There are two versions of this watercolor. The other one, which is very similar to this painting, is in the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. There is probably no way of certainly determining which was painted first, nor to know which was used as the basis for the engravings in the 1844 book.. Of the two versions, this is the only candidate for the work exhibited in Glasgow, Scotland in 1888 sice the other entered the National Galery of Ireland in 1877.

 

This is the only watercolor by Hunt of which I am aware where the artist signed the piece on one side and dated it on he other side, but both the signature and the date appear to be in Hunt's own hand.

Done