Ogden Museum

Clementine Hunter

(1886 or 1887, Cloutierville, Louisiana - 1988, Melrose Plantation, outside of Natchitoches, Louisiana)

Clemence Reuben was born in 1886 or 1887 on Hidden Hill cotton plantation, south of Cloutierville, Louisiana. (Hidden Hill, possibly because of the reputed harshness of the quality of life there, is by legend the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.) Near the turn of the century, the family moved to Melrose Plantation, where Clemence's parents were employed by Cammie and John Hampton Henry. At this time, Clemence became Clementine and she went to work in the fields and later as a house servant, nursemaid, and cook. In 1924, after having had two children by Cuckoo Charlie Dupree, she married Emanuel Hunter and was to have three more surviving children.

In 1938, Francoise Mignon arrived at Melrose for a visit and was to stay on as curator of Cammie Henry's growing library, plantation collections, buildings and grounds. He was to prove to be instrumental in Clementine's artistic success through his friendship and encouragement, as well as his ability to procure supplies, his arranging exhibitions, and his publicity of Clementine's work through his newspaper column.

In 1940, the New Orleans artist Alberta Kinsey visited Melrose to paint magnolias. She used an old kitchen as a studio. After her departure it was Clementine's task to tidy up the building. She found several tubes of paint Miss Kinsey had left behind. That evening, she approached Mignon, saying she could "mark" a picture of her own. He gave her an old window shade, some brushes and turpentine. The next morning, she delivered to him a picture. In the years following, she painted whenever she had time, on anything she could find - from cardboard boxes, brown paper bags, lumber, to plastic milk cartons and wine bottles.

In 1943, James Register visited Melrose and met the artist. He was to supply the first practical support of her career by sending her cash, supplies, and being responsible for her obtaining the Julius Rosewald Foundation Grant in 1944.

In 1955, Clementine Hunter had the first one man show by a black artist at the Delgado Museum (New Orleans Museum of Art). At the same time, Northwestern State College in Natchitoches held its first exhibit of her work. Here, Clementine was able to see her work in a gallery for the first time - but not with the white patrons. She was spirited in by Ora Williams (Ann Williams Brittain's mother) on a Sunday when the gallery was closed. It was at about this time that she executed the African House Murals at Melrose.

Clementine Hunter referred to her works as "memory paintin's" because they depict scenes of everyday life around the plantation and her church. She was particularly interested in spiritual themes based on activities at St. Augustine Catholic Church on Cane River. Here works indicated African influences in the use of bold color, pattern, stylized imagery, and stacked perspective.

Clementine lived at Melrose until 1978, when she moved to her trailer house several miles away. She continued to work through her hundredth year. In her long career she created several thousand paintings, which sold from twenty-five cents in the early days to several thousand dollars in the 1980s. In addition to paintings, she created quilts and dolls. She became one of the most important African American artists in history, as her life literally encompassed the major changes of the 20th century - segregation, world wars, economic depression, the Civil Rights movement, and more. She died January 1, 1988, having never been over 100 miles from her home.