Edgar Hunt, English Painter

Hunt Edgar
British ( 1876 - 1955)

One of the most accomplished animal painters of his day, Edgar Hunt is particularly famous for his farmyard pictures, painted with meticulous detail and finish. Hunt Edgar was born in Birmingham of humble parentage, the son of a part-time art teacher, who greatly encouraged his son's talent.

As a child, Hunt 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 Hunt Edgar had made up his mind to devote himself entirely to the depiction of farmyard animals.

Hunt was a great admirer and friend of John Frederick Herring Junior. When Herring died in 1907, Hunt was inconsolably bereaved and became almost a recluse, rarely leaving his farm in Sussex.

He died virtually unknown, but since his death his pictures have rapidly increased in popularity, and are now avidly collected. Hunt Edgar exhibited at the Royal Society of Artists and at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

Edgar Hunt and his brother Walter who were born in Birmingham, were the third generation in the Hunt family to become artists.- Hunt Edgar oil painting artist, old oil paintings England- Hunt Edgar - England old oil painting artist, old oil paintings artist Hunt Edgar Bio of old oil painting artists, England oil paintings artist Hunt Edgar, artists oil paintings.

His grandfather was Charles Hunt (1803-1877) who was well-known for his humorous genre subjects which Hunt Edgar exhibited from 1846 at the Royal Academy and other prestigious venues. Edgar’s father was Charles Hunt Jr. (1829-1900). Hunt Edgar painted in a similar vein to his father but Hunt Edgar also did some animal subjects. With this background of artistic achievement it was natural for Edgar and Walter (1861-1941) to become painters.

Edgar had no formal art training but was schooled by his father. Hunt Edgar specialised in painting exquisitely detailed works of farmyard scenes and animals, executed meticulously in a realistic style which never changed throughout his career. Hunt was devoted to animals from a very early age. Hunt Edgar had originally intended to be a farmer and had worked on a farm near Lewes in Sussex for a short period.
The artist lived in the Midlands and sold many of his pictures there. As a result of the Industrial Revolution the middle classes in England had grown increasingly wealthy. Those who had made money in the towns yearned nostalgically for an image of the country and the demand for animal paintings was huge both in England and abroad. Hunt continued the tradition of English animal painting which had begun with Landseer. Landseer was the first English artist to portray animals for their own sake, imbuing them with human characteristics and emotion. Other artists of the period continuing the pastoral tradition were T.S. Cooper, E. Verboeckhoven and Verhoesen.- Hunt Edgar oil painting artist, old oil paintings England- Hunt Edgar - England old oil painting artist, old oil paintings artist Hunt Edgar Bio of old oil painting artists, England oil paintings artist Hunt Edgar, artists oil paintings.

Edgar Hunt was best known for his paintings of chickens but Hunt Edgar also painted other birds such as ducks which were very popular during the period. Donkeys, goats and ponies were also in demand and at which Hunt Edgar excelled. Hunt Edgar was not a public man and rarely exhibited his work. However, Hunt Edgar did show eleven animal scenes at the Royal Society of Artists in Birmingham and ‘Feathered Friends’ was exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Hunt Edgar was a great friend of the artist J.F. Herring Jr. (1815-1907) by whom Hunt Edgar was influenced artistically. Highly successful during his life-time, Edgar Hunt remains ever popular to this day with collectors throughout the world avidly seeking his work.



LITERATURE: ‘The Dictionary of Victorian Painters’ by C. Wood
‘Popular 19th Century Painting’ by Hook & Poltimore
‘Dictionary of Painters’ by E. Benezit