William Holman Hunt

William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) was a British artist. He was one of the founders, in 1848, of the Pre-Raphaelites Brotherhood, and was the only member to remain faithful to its principles after the group drifted apart. He visited Egypt and the Holy Land in 1854, 1869 and 1873, in order to paint Biblical scenes with accurate landscapes and facial types. In 1905 he was awarded the Order of Merit.

Hunt's paintings are known for their attention to detail, strong colour (several new dyes had been invented and Hunt made full use of them) and their elaborate symbolism. These features were influenced by the writings of John Ruskin and Thomas Carlyle, who said that the world should be thought of as a system of visual signs. Hunt believed that it was his artistic duty to reveal the connection between sign and fact.

Major Works

• The Light of the World (1853-4)
• The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple (1854–60)
• The Scapegoat (1856)

His book Pre-Raphaelitism and the pre-raphaelite Brotherhood (1905) was the first book on the movement of which he was part.

The Hireling Shepherd.