Saturday, July 10, 2010

Peter Hunt Inspiration



Look at this unique little desk. I found the pictures at an auction site online. The desk had sold but the pictures are inspirational. This desk is the work of the artist Peter Hunt or one of his helpers. Information about him can be found here and here (click on the link at bottom "Peter Hunt by Andy Jones" for a pull down article).

Sort of trompe l' oiel letters on the writing surface. The painting style is folk art, Peter Hunt called it peasant style painting. Peter Hunt's painted furniture was very popular in the 30's and 40's, selling at Macy's and Gimbel's department stores and commands high prices now as well.


I love all the hearts along the side and the hearts at the knees on the man's knickers.


Above are two pages from "Peter Hunt's How To Do It" book. I found a copy by chance at a library book sale a couple of years ago. I had never even heard of him before that.

3 comments:

Ana Cate Rush said...

Hi - I saw this on Pinterest and fell in love! What a little beauty. Thank you for sharing!
Cathie Hull

Toni Hall said...

My grandmother was a close friend of Peter Hunt’s, so she had a desk painted for me when I was 5. 60 years later, I still have it! It looks very similar to this one...

Anonymous said...

I have a Peter Hunt chest of drawers in my living room (was in my bedroom when I was a child) that we inherited from a cousin of my father. We have the decorator’s logbook where it was delivered to the original owner; she was actually living in the Waldorf Astoria during the depression. Talk about decadence! My husband keeps hoping it will go away when we re-decorate, but not a chance! I have always wondered if the bucket inherited from the same woman and painted in the same style is a Peter Hunt as well.
Love the story about a piece commissioned by a grandmother that remains beloved today!