10 LIGHT AND SHADE, 1835

A favorite subject of William Henry Hunt was children going to bed holding a candle to guide their way. The artist painted two versions of this Black boy which are close to identical. Strangely, the other version is signed and dated (1836?) three times. This may have been done at the request of an owner who couldn't make up their mind how to frame that watercolor, since the signatures are at different corners of the watercolor. It is interesting that the artist used such a limited pallet in these paintings, although the other version is somewhat more colorful in the background. This is probably the first (primary) version of the subject, since the date on it appears to be 1835.