Old Master & British Works on Paper
Old Master & British Works on Paper
Property from the Collection of the late Cyril and Shirley Fry
William Henry Hunt
The Gamekeeper
Lot Closed
July 8, 02:14 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from the Collection of the late Cyril and Shirley Fry
William Henry Hunt
London 1790 - 1864
The Gamekeeper
Watercolour over pencil, heightened with pen and brown ink and gum arabic;
signed lower right: W. Hunt
349 by 236 mm
J. Witt, William Henry Hunt, Life and Work, with a Catalogue, London 1982, p. 177, no. 377
Hunt prided himself on only ever drawing from nature and the present portrait, which shows a bold figure silhouetted against a light blue and beige background, is impressive in its 'earthy' detail. It is possible to see the stubble on the sitter's chin, while Hunt has revelled in capturing the different textures of the man's outfit, from the rough woollen clothes to the shiny leather cartridge bag strap.
In the early 19th century, there seemed to be a ready market for portraits of gamekeepers. Between 1824 and 1828 Hunt exhibited no fewer than five watercolours under this title at Old Watercolour Society exhibitions. The present work dates to 1824 or 1825.