The Artist's Father, William Hunt
before 1856
Medium
pen and brown ink with brown wash on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 11.6 x 11.4 cm (4 9/16 x 4 1/2 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of William B. O'Neal
Accession Number
1995.52.84
Art Historical Context
William Holman Hunt, a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, created this sensitive portrait of his father before 1856. The movement championed detailed observation from nature and rejected the prevailing academic styles of the time, favoring instead the purity and sincerity of early Renaissance art. This small drawing offers a rare personal glimpse into Hunt’s private world, revealing the artist’s close ties to family during his formative years. Rendered in pen and brown ink with brown wash on wove paper, the work measures just 11.6 by 11.4 centimeters. The intimate scale and fl...