William Morris Hunt
American
William Morris Hunt played an important role in bringing awareness of the French Barbizon school to the United States. Its style offered American painters an alternative to the Hudson River School by encouraging them to loosen their brushstrokes and focus more on atmosphere than solid form. Like the French artists he admired, Hunt preferred to paint outside in nature rather than within the traditional studio. He also championed rural farmers and humble peasants as worthy artistic subjects.
Born
1824
Died
1879
Does the movement of the boat interrupt the scene’s stillness or become a part of it?
This creek scene condenses brown-green foliage against its reflection on the water’s surface. With horizontal green strokes, Hunt rendered Spanish moss hanging from tree branches, suggesting the damp warmth of the Florida climate. Governor’s Creek and the St. John River were fashionable resort areas when the artist painted this scene. However, this picture includes no evidence of leisure—instead, Hunt shows two small figures rowing their boat laboriously through the smooth water.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd
Item ID
1993.35.18
Dimensions
25 x 39 in. (63.5 x 99.1 cm)
Date
1874
Country
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Artist name
William Morris Hunt
Artwork location