A Barn Interior

A Barn Interior — William Henry Hunt. 1830/35.

Medium: Watercolor, over graphite, with gum arabic, heightened with gouache and scratching out, on paper. Dimensions: 31.2 × 45.3 cm (12 5/16 × 17 7/8 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Called “Bird’s Nest Hunt” due to his detailed studies of natural objects, William Henry Hunt created genre scenes of unspoiled country life. Considered a Realist, Hunt was known for “honest” subject matter, usually captured in small, close interiors, but here he has depicted a barn like a theatrical stage. Hunt achieved the highlights of this highly detailed watercolor by scratching into the surface of the paper.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.