Thje Light Of The world - William Holman hunt
St Pauls’ Cathedral - The Light Of The World
The Light of the World is a Pre-Raphaelite masterpiece hanging in St. Paul's Cathedral.
Holman Hunt’s painting is one of the most viewed 20th-century art pieces in the world, with a rich tapestry of symbolism to be unravelled.
‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ (John 8:12). This verse from John’s Gospel is what inspired Holman Hunt to paint this world-famous image.
This is the third version of this painting by the artist. The first – from 1853 - resides in Keble College Oxford and the second, painted shortly afterwards, can be seen in the Manchester Art Gallery. The piece in St Paul’s was painted around fifty years later, with the assistance of Edward Robert Hughes, and it is thought to be the culmination of Holman-Hunt’s vision.
A painting’s pilgrimage
This “sermon in a frame” is the most travelled art work in history. After it was finished in 1904, it toured the globe, visiting most of the major towns and cities in Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Today, it has been seen by millions of people and is one of the best known works of its period.
The painting arrived at St Paul’s after it was purchased from Holman-Hunt by the industrialist Charles Booth and donated to the Cathedral. It was received during a service in June 1908. On that day, the choir sang Psalm 119 which includes the verse: ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105).
Painted by William Holman Hunt a member odf the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
The Pre-Raphaelites were a secret society of young artists (and one writer), founded in London in 1848. They were opposed to the Royal Academy’s promotion of the ideal as exemplified in the work of Raphael
William Holman Hunt (2 April 1827 – 7 September 1910) was an English painter and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His paintings were notable for their great attention to detail, vivid colour, and elaborate symbolism. These features were influenced by the writings of John Ruskin and Thomas Carlyle, according to whom the world itself should be read as a system of visual signs. For Hunt it was the duty of the artist to reveal the correspondence between sign and fact. Of all the members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Hunt remained most true to their ideals throughout his career. He was always keen to maximise the popular appeal and public visibility of his works.
https://www.stpauls.co.uk/light-of-world-by-william-holman-hunt