George Sherwood Hunter

A wonderful way of learning about the early history of the places that you know is to look at the paintings made by the early artists. We have decided to share some of this work about Newlyn. If you can tell us more about the place or the artist  please email us.

George Sherwood Hunter was born in Aberdeen in 1846 and christened on May 30 1846. The censuses of 1871 and 1881 record him as an artist painter and a painter of oil figures. In 1889 he married Constance Mary Stuart in Paddington. Both were into their middle forties but were to share their lives for the next 30 years.
George and Constance moved to Newlyn  in 1902 where they lived at the Malt House. He was soon an integral part of the Newlyn Community of Artists, helping Elizabeth and Stanhope Forbes in their School of Art. Constant Mary was keenly involved in the Newlyn Artists Amateur Dramatic Society. Hunter’s own studio was situated in Bateman’s Meadow near Forbes’ Anchor Studios.
George and Constance lived at The Malthouse until their deaths, George on June 18 1919, and Constance on November 29 that same year.

Their joint tombstone at Sancreed Parish Church Graveyard reads: Sacred to the Memory of George Sherwood Hunter. Artist of the Malt-House Newlyn. Died 18 June 1919 Aged 73 Years. Also of  Constance Mary, his wife  Died 29 November 1919  Aged 72 Years.
In 1990 over thirty of Hunter’s Newlyn paintings were sold at Christies. The archive is fortunate to have been given a vast collection of material about the Hunters by Ian Hunter who has done copious research on his relative. We have an extensive catalogue raisonné of his paintings, with many images in his file at the Boathouse. Do come and have a look.