Clementine Hunter
Clementine Hunter was Louisiana's most celebrated and beloved folk artist. She is also Louisiana's most famous female artist. Hunter a self-taught African-American artist from the Cane River region of Louisiana, lived and worked on Melrose Plantation. Her work depicted plantation life in the early 20th century, documenting a bygone era. Her first paintings sold for as little as 25 cents. By the end of her life, her works were exhibited in museums around the world and sold by dealers and galleries for thousands of dollars. Hunter was the granddaughter of a former slave. Hunter received an hoary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Northwestern State University in 1986. Though she is considered a folk artist legend, she spent her entire life in poverty, even though she was selling her pieces of art in the 1970's for hundreds of dollars. She died in 1988 in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Hunter is one of the most well-known self-taught artists, often referred to as the black Grandma Moses. Hunter painted from memory, and her works portray cotton and pecan picking, washing clothes, baptisms, and funerals. Many of her paintings feature similar subjects, but each painting is unique. Hunter's work features colorful displays of plantation life with powerful expressive force.
Hunter was the first African-Amerian artist to have a solo exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art, and prominent collectors include Oprah Winfrey and the late Joan Rivers, among many others . Her work can also be seen in the Smithsonian Institute, the Museum of American Folk Art, the Dallas Museum of Fine Art, and the New York Historical Association.
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Pickin' Gourds or Easter Egg Hunt, an important original by Clementine Hunter
This incredibly rare Hunter has a disputed title, though titled en verso “Pickin’ Gourds,” renowned expert Tom Whitehead believes the piece depicts colorful Easter eggs being placed into baskets. This piece, dated 1968, was from the prime of Hunter’s career and is of particularly excellent quality. It has an excellent provenance: it belonged to the largest collector of Hunter’s work: Dr. Bob Ryan, of New Orleans, and it bears the numbering of his cataloguing method en verso. Additionally, the piece features the artist’s fingerprints, as she painted while holding works.
Flight into Egypt, an original oil on Board by Clementine Hunter
Oil on Canvas Board (1960’s-1970’s)
Size: 16x23 and 7/8 unframed
This is a prime example of one of Hunter’s biblical series: Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus’ flight into Egypt. Before beginning her life as an artist in her 60’s, Hunter picked cotton on Hidden Hill and worked as a field hand. Featuring Hunter’s iconic angels and a particularly brightly colored sky, as well as pelicans perched on the water below the Holy family. This piece is an excellent representation of Hunter’s work. This piece was owned by the chef of La Riviera Goffredo Fraccaro and has been authenticated. This type of provenance is rare and provides the highest level of authenticity to this work. Frame shows normal signs of age with occasionally chipping, scuffs, and paint loss, but the piece itself is in excellent condition.
As featured in the Clementine Hunter gallery show on Royal Street in the French Quarter.
Good and Bad Angels, an original on board by Clementine Hunter
An original Clementine Hunter oil on board, this piece is an excellent representation of the artist’s work. The good angels, dressed in white, are flying with the bad angel, dressed in red, on a brilliant blue and green background. The Artist’s signature monogram, CH, with an inverted C, is present in the center right of the piece.
"Wash Day," an oil on canvas board by Clementine Hunter
A large, colorful original Clementine Hunter with iconic CH signature, this piece is an excellent example of Hunter’s work. Featuring the heavy dabbed imposto of hunter’s brush, the soapy water has a three dimensional quality to it. 18x24
"Pecan Pickin'" important original oil by Clementine Hunter
This large original Clementine Hunter once belonged to close friend of the artist and important Louisianan Julian Foy, of Foy Motor Company. This was the first original Hunter that Cayman ever saw, and at the time of Julian’s passing Cayman was offered the piece first as an acknowledgment of his love for the piece. Featuring a particularly bright and colorful array of clothing, this work is considered to be one of the best examples of Hunter’s work, and a testament to the artist’s incredible ability and talent.
Clementine Hunter with original work "Cooking Out," or "Fish Fry"
A truly rare photo of Clementine Hunter with an original work by her hand. Though Hunter was made to take photos with works that were copies of her work, works that predate the copies and include an original photo of her with the work are extremely rare and add significant value to the piece.