Clementine Hunter, Picking Cotton

Updated August 22, 2026

This auction ended on August 30, 2026. See upcoming auctions from Gallery Arts & Auctions Co..

Lot number	161
Estimate	1,200.00 - 2,000.00 USD
Auction	International Fine Art & Original Peruvian Ceramics
Date	August 30, 2026 at 1:30 PM MDT
Auction house	Gallery Arts & Auctions Co.
Location	New Mexico, New Mexico

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.

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