William Morris Hunt: Social Influencer

"Priscilla" by William Morris Hunt

"On returning to America, William Morris Hunt devoted himself assiduously to portraiture, and for this was best known to the general public. By his marriage in 1855 to Miss Louisa Dumeresq Perkins of Boston, he entered at once into the charmed circles of what was considered the best society of the city. There he met with the most cordial reception. 

Hunt had all the elements of greatness, but his work was to lie in a direction that was comparatively new to the American mind. People sought him for his brilliant conversational powers, his originality of thought and action, and his rare wit. What Hunt said was on everyone's tongue. Enjoyable as all this was, perhaps it was not the life most to be desired for the fostering of genius. Millet, the masterly painter of peasants, Corot, Daubigny, and the rest - all these were living humbly and seriously, and for their art alone.

Had Hunt remained in Europe he would have left a name second to none. By his return to Boston, he entered upon a career that was difficult, depressing, and wearisome. There was no one here to whom he could look up as to a superior. He had known all the great artists of Europe. Here there were none that could feed his artistic hunger and thirst.  

Like all noble souls, he found consolation in helping those who needed encouragement and assistance. To almost every artist returning from European study or observation, he extended a cordial welcome. Each found in Hunt his first patron. The hospitable home in Beacon Street bore evidence of his taste and liberality. There were several valued paintings by Millet, a few of his own works, but more by his fellow American artists, Robinson, Cole, Babcock, Bicknell and Vedder.

At the same time he was inducing his wealthy and influential friends to purchase the works of Corot, Millet, Diaz, Barye, and other great French masters of the day. He exerted himself in every way to make his townspeople realize that they were living in an era of great art; and through his influence some of the best French pictures of the day were purchased for Boston homes and galleries. He was one of the first Americans to own bronzes by Barye, and to highly extol his genius."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Art-Life of William Morris Hunt" by Helen Mary Knowlton.)