Artwork
The Hurdy-Gurdy Boy
The Hurdy-Gurdy Boy is an ink print by the Impressionist artist William Morris Hunt. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:text at bottom on stone: W.M. Hunt, Pinxt and del on stone.
About this work
Overview
The Hurdy-Gurdy Boy is a lithograph created by William Morris Hunt in 1857. It is a print on wove paper, featuring a combination of black lithograph and tan stone tint.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a boy seated outdoors, operating a hurdy-gurdy, a stringed instrument turned by a crank. His serious expression and the mundane surroundings, including a bare tree and a building, convey a sense of everyday life.
Technique & Style
The artist achieved a range of textures through a mix of soft shading and sharp lines, evident in the boy's clothing and the tree's bark. The lithographic process involved transferring ink from a smooth stone to paper, allowing for drawn rather than painted effects.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
William Morris Hunt (March 31, 1824 – September 8, 1879) was an American painter.
