Edmund Aubrey Hunt RBA was an American-born painter of landscapes, coastal scenes and Orientalist subjects who spent much of his working life in England and North Africa. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jean-Léon Gérôme, he developed a distinctive atmospheric style that combined academic discipline with a sensitivity to light, colour and fleeting visual impressions.
Working during a period when landscape painting was evolving rapidly, Hunt became known for capturing the immediate character of a scene - the movement of wind across water, the changing forms of clouds, or the shimmer of sunlight upon rivers and harbours. Critics in the late 19th century frequently described him as an “impressionist,” recognising his tendency to subordinate detail to the broader visual effect of the landscape.
An active exhibitor throughout Britain, Hunt's works were shown at many of the leading institutions and galleries of his day, including the Royal Academy, the Grosvenor Gallery and the Society of British Artists, of which he was elected a member in 1884. Today, his works are held in several public collections, including the National Maritime Museum, the Government Art Collection and the National Museum Cardiff.
Known For
Primarily atmospheric landscapes and maritime scenes executed in oil.
His subjects frequently included:
- coastal harbours and fishing vessels,
- river landscapes and estuary views,
- rural scenes and windmill landscapes,
- maritime activity and shoreline labour,
- Orientalist scenes inspired by North Africa.
Contemporary critics particularly admired his ability to render sky and atmosphere. His paintings often emphasise expansive cloud formations, shifting light and reflections on water, creating compositions that convey movement, weather and changing conditions rather than static description.
During the later phase of his career, following his residence in Tangier, he also produced Orientalist works depicting North African architecture, equestrian displays and scenes of daily life.
Student Of
Jean-Léon Gérôme at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
Hunt studied in Paris for approximately five years under Gérôme, one of the leading academic painters and teachers of the 19th century. Gérôme’s training emphasised rigorous drawing, compositional clarity and disciplined technique. While Hunt retained elements of this academic foundation, his mature work adopted a freer and more atmospheric approach influenced by contemporary developments in French landscape painting.
Lived In
United States
Weymouth and Boston, Massachusetts
France
Paris
England
London
Hemmingford Grey, Huntingdonshire
Rye, East Sussex
Hastings, East Sussex
Lowestoft, Suffolk
Morocco
Tangier
He also travelled widely throughout France, the Low Countries and Italy, undertaking sketching trips along the Seine and Marne, which informed many of his landscape subjects.
Historical Context
Hunt worked during a period of transition in European painting when traditional academic methods were increasingly challenged by new approaches to landscape and light.
The late 19th century saw the rise of artists who sought to capture the direct sensory experience of nature rather than its exact topographical description. Although Hunt was trained within the academic system, his work reflects this changing sensibility. His paintings frequently record the fleeting qualities of atmosphere - moving clouds, reflections on water and the shifting effects of sunlight.
Public Collections
Several museums, including:
- Aberdeen Maritime Museum,
- Government Art Collection, United Kingdom,
- National Maritime Museum, Greenwich,
- National Museum Cardiff.
His works were shown at:
- Royal Academy,
- Royal Institute of Oil Painters,
- Society of British Artists,
- Grosvenor Gallery,
- New Gallery,
- New English Art Club,
- Dowdeswell Galleries,
- Arthur Tooth & Sons Gallery,
- Goupil Gallery, London,
- Royal Society of Artists in Birmingham,
- Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts,
- Royal Hibernian Academy,
- Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool,
- Manchester City Art Gallery.
His paintings were also exhibited in Boston, reflecting his continuing connections with the American art market.
Timeline
1855
Born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA, to Edmund Soper Hunt, an entrepreneur and inventor who operated a fireworks factory, and Annie Maria Poole.
Early education in Weymouth and Boston.
Early 1870s
Worked briefly for the Boston architectural firm Emerson & Fehmer before deciding to pursue painting.
Mid 1870s
Moved to Paris and entered the École des Beaux-Arts, where he studied under Jean-Léon Gérôme.
1876
Married Agnes Fitzgibbon while studying in Paris.
1878
Moved to London.
Met his future wife while making copies at the Louvre.
1881
Debuted at the Royal Academy with In the Meadow.
Early 1880s
Exhibited regularly in London and Boston while travelling widely across Europe.
1884
Elected a member of the Society of British Artists.
Late 1880s
Marriage to Agnes Fitzgibbon ended.
1892
Married Maude Chadwick.
Early 1890s
Moved to Tangier, Morocco.
1890s
Produced numerous Orientalist paintings inspired by North African life and landscapes.
1897
Sailed from Boston to Alaska aboard a schooner.
1901-1904
Returned to England and settled at Hemmingford Grey, Huntingdonshire.
1905
Moved to Rye, East Sussex.
c.1910
Lived at Lowestoft, Suffolk.
1914-1918
During the First World War, he moved to Hastings.
1922
Died in Hastings, East Sussex.
His body was cremated and returned to Weymouth, Massachusetts, for burial.