Artist: British Pre-Raphaelite School
Title: (The Hops Picker)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 15 1/2" x 13 1/2" canvas size (not including frame)
Date: 19th century
Condition: Appears in overall good condition.
Possibly by William Holman Hunt
This sumptuous oil painting by a 19th-century British artist depicts a young woman under a bough of vines, looking directly at the viewer from her work of picking hops. An idealized portrait, her smooth face and rosy cheeks, clean white chemise and perfectly placed ringlets of red hair recall a classical subject more than a realistic depiction of labor. The sentimental image is encircled by a golden oval frame, which picks up the highlights in the sitter’s glossy hair. The red of her lips and shawl pop against a pleasant blue background, echoed in her large, smiling eyes.
This romanticized depiction of a humble subject matter is typical of mid-century English painting. The sharp lines, crisply defined details and bright, jewel-like colors evoke the aesthetic tenets of the Pre-Raphaelites, whose style greatly influenced this painter. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which formed during the middle of the nineteenth century in England, promoted an attentive study of nature, vivid colors, and the precise representation of objects imbued with poetic symbolism – all alluded to here. This work is possibly an allegorical subject, as was customary for this genre and style, and offers a beautiful example of hard-edged English realism.
The painting is reminiscent of works by founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt, and is in good overall condition.