Taking its lead from William Henry Hunt's watercolour The Head Gardener in The Courtauld Gallery's permanent collection, this focused exhibition is the first to investigate Hunt's striking depictions of rural figures in the 182.os and 183os. Consisting of twenty watercolours selected from collections across the UK, William Henry Hunt : Country People brings together a caste of country folk in their working or living environments, from farmers and millers to estate gardeners, poachers and gamekeepers. The representation of these rural figures, treated with dignity and respect, raises important questions about the changing conditions of rural labour and the land during Hunt's lifetime. Celebrated especially for his beautiful depictions of birds' nests and other still lifes, this exhibition sheds light on a little-known aspect of one of the most admired British watercolourists of the nineteenth century.
