The Valentine
1838
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1838
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
The Valentine is a 1838 watercolor by William Henry Hunt, a british_romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see a single red valentine heart pinned to a plain wall, with a tiny sprig of leaves tucked beside it. Hunt painted this in watercolor, a medium usually used for grand landscapes or portraits. Here, he gives the same care to a small, everyday object—something you might find in a drawer and forget. The paper looks crinkled, the color faded, as if it’s been kept for years. If you like how Hunt makes ordinary things feel special, look up the technique *sfumato*.
