William Holman Hunt
Born – London, England 1827
Died – London, England 1910
William Holman Hunt first began to study art at the British Museum and National Gallery at the age of 16. In 1844 he entered the Royal Academy where he met Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Everett Millais. The three founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848. Hunt alone remained true to its basic principle of expressing serious moral ideas through art, combined with a truthful and realistic approach to nature. He made several trips to Egypt and Palestine from 1854 to paint religious scenes within their original location. The Scapegoat date from Hunt’s first trip to Palestine shows the animal alone on the shores of the Dead Sea. Hunt believed that a realistic treatment of this biblical allegory would enhance the spiritual message. Consequently he went to great lengths to ensure that every detail in his work was historically authentic, making use of strong colours and exact realism to enhance his depiction. In later years, Hunt’s obsession with accuracy as well as his dogmatic convictions grew more pronounced, and the imaginative power of his paintings declined.
Masterpieces:
• The Hireling Shepherd
• The Light of the World
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
William Holman Hunt: A Catalogue Raisonne
Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelite Vision
William Holman Hunt: Painter, Painting, Paint