Clementine Hunter, Picking Cotton

Clementine Hunter (American, 1886-1988)

A vibrant oil on canvas depicting a group of figures working in a cotton field under a bright sun. The composition utilizes a bold folk-art palette of verdant greens, sunny yellows, and crisp whites, rendered with the artist's characteristic flattened perspective and thick, expressive brushwork. Signed with the artist's "CH" monogram in the lower right. Framed.

Clementine Hunter was a self-taught African-American folk artist who spent most of her life living and working on Melrose Plantation in Louisiana. Her work provides a vital visual record of plantation life, capturing scenes of labor, celebration, and religious devotion with remarkable sincerity and colorful intensity. Despite having no formal training, she became one of the most significant self-taught artists of the 20th century, with her work now held in numerous major museum collections.

DIMENSIONS
Unframed: 15 3/4 x 12 inches
Framed: 19 3/8 x 15 1/2 inches

PROVENANCE
Private collection.

Condition

Good condition consistent with age