The Start of the Hunt
c. 1800
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 88.1 x 139.1 cm (34 11/16 x 54 3/4 in.) framed: 113.7 x 164.8 x 3.8 cm (44 3/4 x 64 7/8 x 1 1/2 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Accession Number
1953.5.98
Art Historical Context
"The Start of the Hunt," an oil on canvas painting from around 1800 by an anonymous American artist of the early 19th century, the excitement of a traditional pursuit in rural America. Measuring nearly 3 by 5 feet, this substantial work evokes the equestrian energy of a fox hunt or similar chase, a popular subject reflecting the leisure activities of the gentry and the rhythms of countryside life during the young nation's Federal period. Oil on canvas was the premier medium for such narrative scenes, allowing for rich colors and dynamic compositions that brought motion to static surfaces. As ...
About the Artist
American 19th Century
The artist cataloged as "American, 19th Century" represents a collective of unidentified painters active in the United States during the nineteenth century, with 380 known artworks preserved in this virtual museum's collection. These works span a diverse array of genres typical of the era, including portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, reflecting the burgeoning artistic output of ...