7. William Henry Hunt, The Maid and the Gamekeeper

The Maid and the Gamekeeper

Currently untraced

Ink and watercolor

12 5/8 X 11 5/8 in., 33 X 30 cm.

Signed, l.l., W. Hunt

 

Provenance:

(S) Christie's London, 11 July 1989, Lot 158 (P) 2,500 GBP, $4,134.

 

This watercolor is just one of many in which William Henry Hunt extended his paper by mounting his original piece of paper onto another, larger piece. He did this when he misjudged the size of the paper he needed for a composition at some point after he had already painted a large part of the painting. Rather than starting over, he improvised by enlarging the paper to the size he needed. This practice of the artist had nothing to do with reworking an already completed painting for exhibition purposes, but was only caused by his desire to salvage a watercolor painting, or even an undersized piece of paper which could not be reused. The artist was known to be very thrifty and undoubtedly would have been unwilling to waste salvagable paper.

 

The paper of the Head Gerdener, No. 10 in the Country People exhibition, was similarly extended at the top.

Done