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Student Artwork Guide

A Steady Hand

Name Class Date

Edgar Bundy, A Steady Hand. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Edgar Bundy artsdot.com/en/artists/edgar-bundy/
Artist’s dates
1862 – 1922

In context

A Steady Hand — Edgar Bundy

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1860
  2. 1870
  3. 1880
  4. 1890
  5. 1900
  6. 1910
  7. 1920

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 60 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Edgar Bundy (1862–1922) every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/edgar-bundy-a-steady-hand-9DGME4-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Espresso #372a26

    Catalogued palette

    • #372A26
    • #665246
    • #A58C72
    • #EDE1BA

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Espresso
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Edgar Bundy over the last twelve months — 4 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 69.2%900 visits
    2. 2 United States of America 15.4%200 visits
    3. 3 United Kingdom 7.7%100 visits
    4. 4 Japan 7.7%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 12 most looked-at works by Edgar Bundy

    1. 1 The Morning Of Sedgemoor 21.4%300 visits
    2. 2 The Threat 14.3%200 visits
    3. 3 The Puritan And The Maid 7.1%100 visits
    4. 4 Scene Within An Inn Ii 7.1%100 visits
    5. 5 Scene Within An Inn I 7.1%100 visits
    6. 6 Man Eating Lunch 7.1%100 visits
    7. 7 George Buckston Browne 7.1%100 visits
    8. 8 Home From Market 7.1%100 visits
    9. 9 The Squire's Visit 7.1%100 visits
    10. 10 Landing Of The First Canadian Division At St 7.1%100 visits
    11. 11 A Vigorous Outing 7.1%100 visits
    12. — A Steady Hand this painting 0.0%0 visits

    Together these works take 99.6% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 36 works by this artist, of which 11 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Edgar Bundy

    Born in Brighton, United Kingdom

    Edgar Bundy (1862–1922): A Painter of Detail and Historical Narrative

    Edgar Bundy ara was an English painter born in Brighton in 1862, whose artistic journey unfolded against the backdrop of the Edwardian era. Despite lacking formal training—he honed his craft primarily through observation at Alfred Stevens’ studio—Bundy possessed a remarkable talent for capturing historical scenes with meticulous precision and narrative depth. This distinctive approach resonated deeply within the Victorian aesthetic, aligning perfectly with the prevailing fascination for realism and storytelling.

    His artistic career gained considerable momentum during his time in Paris, where he participated in the prestigious Salon of 1907, showcasing his skill and garnering recognition from fellow artists and critics. Bundy’s dedication to his craft culminated in a solo exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1915, cementing his reputation as a respected figure within the British art community. Perhaps his most enduring contribution to artistic history is ‘The Morning of Sedgemoor,’ an oil painting executed in 1905 and housed in the Tate Gallery. This monumental work depicts the Duke of Monmouth’s rebels resting in a barn before the decisive battle, demonstrating Bundy's mastery of composition, lighting, and textural detail—a testament to his profound understanding of Pre-Raphaelite influences.

    Influenced by luminaries such as John Millais, William Morris, and Ruskin, Bundy embraced the tenets of the Pre-Raphaelites – a movement characterized by its revival of medieval art and literature and its commitment to artistic idealism. These artists championed meticulous observation and emotional resonance, mirroring Bundy’s own stylistic sensibilities. His canvases are imbued with a palpable sense of atmosphere and strive to convey not merely what is seen but also what is felt—a hallmark of Victorian painting and a reflection of Bundy's unwavering pursuit of artistic excellence.

    Bundy continued to produce significant works throughout his life, exploring themes of domestic interiors and landscapes with similar dedication to realism and narrative complexity. His legacy resides in the preservation of historical scenes rendered with unparalleled artistry and technical skill, securing his place as one of the foremost painters of his era.

    Where to read more

    • The artist Edgar Bundy artsdot.com/en/artists/edgar-bundy/
    • Similar works More works to compare artsdot.com/en/art/similar/edgar-bundy-a-steady-hand-9DGME4-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for A Steady Hand

    artsdot.com/en/art/download/edgar-bundy-a-steady-hand-9DGME4-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Bundy, Edgar. A Steady Hand. n.d., https://artsdot.com/en/art/edgar-bundy-a-steady-hand-9DGME4-en/
    APA
    Bundy, Edgar (n.d.). A Steady Hand [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/edgar-bundy-a-steady-hand-9DGME4-en/
    Chicago
    Edgar Bundy. A Steady Hand. n.d. https://artsdot.com/en/art/edgar-bundy-a-steady-hand-9DGME4-en/
    Harvard
    Bundy, Edgar (n.d.) A Steady Hand. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/edgar-bundy-a-steady-hand-9DGME4-en/

    Look closely

    A Steady Hand — Edgar Bundy

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: hands. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at George Buckston Browne, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the dominant hue of "A Steady Hand" by Edgar Bundy?

    A golden yellow range hue runs through "A Steady Hand" by Edgar Bundy.

    Does "A Steady Hand" show strong light-dark contrasts?

    The light-dark contrast of "A Steady Hand" is recorded as statement. Contrast describes how strongly light and dark areas differ.

    How do I preview a reproduction of "A Steady Hand" by Edgar Bundy?

    The Preview page of "A Steady Hand" lets you preview the artwork before ordering.