The Ballad Singer
Artist
William Henry Hunt
(London, England, 1790 - 1864)
Date1841
Mediumwatercolour on paper
ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings
DimensionsSight Size: Height: 38.5 cm, Width: 25.7 cm
Frame: Height: 65.1 cm, Width: 50.9 cm
Frame: Height: 65.1 cm, Width: 50.9 cm
AcquisitionPurchased in 1938 with income from the Webster Bequest.
CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDAG003435
About MeWilliam Henry Hunt served an apprenticeship with John Varley and then joined the watercolour 'academy' of Dr Thomas Monro. This mid 19th century painting shows a street urchin of no more than 12 years old, earning a living by singing ballads. These subjects were considered vulgar by contemporary critics, but were popular with wealthy industrialists. Hunt had done miniature portraits as a young man and he continued to use a stippled touch for lights and shadows on the face. Larger strokes, laid on side by side, describe the texture of the hand-me-down velour coat with its too long sleeves.
More About Me
As so often in art, the eyes tell the story here - the desperate child eking out a living, singing ballads on the street. It’s all on display here.
C. Bruce Miller & Company Limited
1925
John Phillip
