Charles Hunt was born in Kensington, London and was part of a dynasty of painters. He was the son of the genre painter Charles Hunt (1803-1877) and father to Edgar Hunt (1876-1955) and Walter Hunt (1861-1941), both of whom were taught by their father and became successful artists in their own right. Two more of his children Reuben Hunt (1858-1938) and Claude Hunt (1863-1949) also became artists.

He lived in Fulham but later moved to 6 Granville Road, Wandsworth where he lived with his wife Anne and his family. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and also at the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham. He painted highly detailed, humorous scenes often of families within cottage interiors, mainly in oils and show a strong influence from his father in terms of style and content.

His paintings often contain donkeys and other domestic animals such as dogs, illustrating his in-depth knowledge of their anatomy and draughtsmanship as well as his affection for them. He died in Wandsworth in 1900 aged 70.