William Henry Hunt (1790-1864) was one of the key figures in British watercolour painting in the first half of the nineteenth century. Born in London and apprenticed at the age of fourteen to the watercolourist John Varley, he entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1808, becoming a regular exhibitor at the Society of Painters in Water-Colour from 1814. His career was furthered by the patronage of the Duke of Devonshire and the Earl of Essex, both of whom offered him important opportunities to work on their estates. His work focused on the rural and the natural worlds, ranged from genre scenes to single-figure studies to the intricate still-lifes for which he is now best known. John Ruskin was one of his most influential admirers, and his innovative technique inspired younger artists such as the Pre-Raphaelites.

This watercolour shows a young girl in 1820s dress fast asleep in a church pew, with a shawl and prayer books on the seat beside her. Hunt was well known for his charming depictions of children, which enjoyed a ready market during the Victorian period, and this large and highly finished watercolour would have been made with sale, and possibly exhibition, in mind. It displays Hunt’s characteristically vivid palette and hallmark delicate stippling technique, which was much admired and imitated.

Richard Haworth, Blackburn, 1921; Newman Fine Art; Gift from the Spooner Trust, 2023

From the Baroque to Today: New Acquisitions of Works on Paper, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 23/02/2024-27/05/2024