IT'S TIME FOR: THE WHIMSY OF PETER HUNT
The colorful hand-painted adornments with fruit or vegetable motifs that Provincetown, Massachusetts, folk artist Peter Hunt (1896–1967) created captivated Cape Cod residents from the 1930s through 1960s. Today, Peter Hunt objects are highly collectible—not the least because the objects he chose to paint are so quotidian.

“He painted breadboards, mailboxes, even waste bins,” says Dan Griffin, co-owner of Pink Swan Antiques (508/771-5849, pinkswanantiques@yahoo.com), in West Yarmouth, Mass. On an old sawbuck table, he even painted trompe l’oeil place settings. “His work is always bright, always vibrant,” says Griffin. “It’s pure folk art, and very whimsical.”

Interest in Peter Hunt objects is strong across the country, not just in Cape Cod, adds Griffin. Prices for Peter Hunt objects start at $200 and go up into the thousands. Most of his work was unsigned. A vivid, unsigned Peter Hunt wastebasket offered by Pink Swan, for example, is priced at $375. “If it were signed, you’d put a 1 in front of the number,” says Griffin.

The appeal of Peter Hunt objects for collectors today is part of a growing trend for collectors to acquire hand-painted, folk art objects, say dealers. “We have many single-time buyers who want a good example of the whimsical Peter Hunt to decorate a family room, kitchen, or children’s room,” explains Griffin. The motifs are peasant-inspired and create a simple-life, cheerful-demeanor effect. What better compliment to the increasing presence of sleek technological screens and gadgets in the house?

For more information, check peasantvillage.com, the Web site of Lynn C. Van Dine, author of The Search for Peter Hunt.

Photo courtesy of Pink Swan Antiques