The Hurdy-Gurdy Boy
1857
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
William Morris Hunt
William Morris Hunt (March 31, 1824 – September 8, 1879) was an American painter.
See the richer artist page1857
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Hurdy-Gurdy Boy is a 1857 ink by William Morris Hunt, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a boy sitting outside, holding a small hurdy-gurdy—a stringed instrument with a crank. He’s dressed in dark, slightly rumpled clothes, and his face has a serious, almost tired look. Behind him, a bare tree and a building with a window frame the scene, giving it a quiet, everyday feel. The artist used a mix of soft shading and sharp lines to show texture, like the folds in the boy’s clothes or the rough bark of the tree. This was made by pressing ink onto a smooth stone, then transferring it to paper—it’s not painted but drawn this way. Next, check out lithography to see how this printing trick works.
William Morris Hunt (March 31, 1824 – September 8, 1879) was an American painter.
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