£21,250
This painting is a charming farmyard scene from the well-known oeuvre of animal painter Edgar Hunt. It is a perfect image of idyllic country life, and would have been very appealing to wealthy city-dwellers of the early Twentieth Century, who yearned for the peaceful country life that existed before industrialisation.
Dimensions: (unframed) 27.9 x 38.1 cm/11.0 x 15.0 ins
Signature: Signed ‘E. Hunt’ and dated 1924 (lower right)
Medium: Oil on canvas
One of the most accomplished animal painters of his day, Edgar Hunt is famous for his farmyard paintings, such as this one, created with meticulous detail, physical accuracy and tenderness.
Edgar Hunt had no formal art training, but was taught by his father, Charles Hunt. Charles painted farmyard and interior scenes in a typically Victorian style. Edgar developed his own trademark style, which constituted idealised farmyard scenes, with animals always being the subject. His works are exquisitely detailed, and his observation of farm animals was unparalleled in his time.
Private collection, United Kingdom
We have built up a strong reputation for the quality of the paintings, drawings and sculpture that we curate, exhibit and sell. Our professional associations with bodies such as The British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA) and the Association of Art & Antique Dealers (LAPADA) are as a result of our reputation for integrity, our wide knowledge of fine arts and the high quality of our stock. Our business standards and expertise are reviewed regularly to adhere vigorously with enforced Codes. Our memberships and commitment to its Code of Conducts, gives our buyers confidence when purchasing a work from us.
Condition reports and certificates of authenticity vary in their nature by artwork, for more information on your pieces of interest, please enquire with the gallery.
Artwork images
We take pride in the attention we give to our images of the artworks for purchase and invest in these to ensure outputs are aligned as closely as possible to the item in reality. We do not apply filters or modify images, we provide high quality images to reflect the high quality of our artworks.
Payment processing – You can be assured that payments are securely processed through Worldpay’s trusted payment gateway.
Shipping and packaging requirements are assessed per piece to ensure the most suitable protection for the artwork. Trinity House will therefore call following purchase to agree the recommendations and costs.
We offer the following services which we will be happy to discuss with you following your purchase, alternatively you can enquire for more information.
We offer insurance appraisals to protect your prised artwork and help you find the right cover and policy for you.
We are able to advise on framing and have access to every type and style to suit any artistic period or room setting.
The nature of the materials involved in a painting mean that on occasion some pieces are susceptible to movement and the effects of natural ageing. We are able to provide advice on practical measures to conserve the original condition of a piece and have relationships with restorers and framers to offer you a range of services to meet your needs.
Edgar Hunt was born in Birmingham of humble parentage, the son of a part-time art teacher, who greatly encouraged his son’s talent. Edgar painted birds and fruit as well as his well-known animal subjects. As a child, Edgar spent much of his time sketching from farm life, and was considerably influenced by his brother, Walter Hunt, a skilful animal painter in his own right.
By his mid twenties he had made up his mind to devote himself entirely to the depiction of farmyard animals. His compositions, usually on small canvases, were mostly of farmyard scenes in which domestic poultry and their broods predominated; although calves, pigs and rabbits were often introduced. He worked in a meticulous manner not a feather or a hair was out of place. His style is immediately recognisable, hardly changing throughout his career. Edgar was of a retiring disposition and seldom exhibited his work, preferring to spend his life with the animals he owned and lovingly painted .
Edgar was a great admirer and friend of John Frederick Herring Junior. When Herring died in 1907, Edgar was inconsolably bereaved and became almost a recluse, rarely leaving his farm. Edgar however was still very much in demand by his patrons. His patronage wanted uncomplicated images to which they could relate immediately and without troublesome intellectual effort. Hunt also incorporated an element of sentimentality to elicit the maximum emotional response. He exhibited at the Royal Society of Artists and at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
