A Barn Interior

1830·Watercolor, over graphite, with gum arabic, heightened with gouache and scratching out, on paper·31.2 × 45.3 cm (12 5/16 × 17 7/8 in.)

<p>Called “Bird’s Nest Hunt” due to his detailed studies of natural objects, William Henry Hunt created genre scenes of unspoiled country life. Considered a Realist, Hunt was known for “honest” subject matter, usually captured in small, close interiors, but here he has depicted a barn like a theatrical stage. Hunt achieved the highlights of this highly detailed watercolor by scratching into the surface of the paper.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1830
Medium: Watercolor, over graphite, with gum arabic, heightened with gouache and scratching out, on paper
Dimensions: 31.2 × 45.3 cm (12 5/16 × 17 7/8 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: William Henry Hunt

Artist

William Henry Hunt

Painting

William Henry Hunt, was an English watercolourist. Hunt was "one of the key figures in nineteenth-century English watercolour painting. His work was extensively collected in his lifetime, particularly his genre pictures of children, often in humorous situations, and his detailed, naturalistic still lifes of fruit, flowers, and birds' nests that earned him the nickname ‘Bird’s Nest’ Hunt."

London, UK

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