Saturday, January 3, 2009

Sneak Peek: Clementine Hunter




The Ogden Museum of Southern Art will unveil Clementine Hunter's Cotton to Gin and Baptism to the public on January 15, 2009. This painting is unique in the Clementine Hunter oeuvre due to its being painted on verso, its rare color palette, and the sheer scale of the thing (over four feet square). Recto shows a cotton-to-gin scene typical of Clementine's style, with a rather lush sunset. Verso is surprising, though, with its unique color palette of vivid yellows, pinks, reds, and grays. Having no evidence to support a theory that the work was commissioned two-sided for a patron, we must assume that the work was painted on verso out of need for materials. Much like George Andrews, Clementine painted on almost anything, including window shades and trash cans. See this work and others by Clementine Hunter in our upcoming show, Recent Acquisitions. Photos by Richard McCabe.

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