William Holman Hunt
(1827-1910 England)
Founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
William Holman Hunt met Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Everett Millais while at the Royal Academy Schools. They would go on to create the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The aim of their group was to paint serious subjects, to study nature closely, and to return to the sincerity of spirit of painters before the time of Raphael Sanzio. They painted mostly biblical and literary subjects with an obsessive naturalist quality and attention to detail. Their philosophy and style influenced many artists and movements after them. Holman Hunt was the only one out of the three who committed wholly to the tenets set out by the Brotherhood. He was highly influenced by the writings of John Ruskin and they worked off of each other to popularize the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Holman Hunt’s paintings are characterized by their meticulous attention to detail and clear moral and religious symbolism. His use of colour really brings a luminosity and brilliance to the surface of the painting. His style did not change much throughout the course of his career, though he did focus more on religious subject matters later on as he was influenced by his trips to Syria and Jerusalem.
I find that Holman Hunt uses lighting for effect to bring attention to faces especially. Their expressions are lit up in a phosphorescent manner and they invite you in for a closer look at what they’re trying to say. The symbolism in his pieces are also interesting as he is able to tell another story beyond what meets the eye. Whether it’s a literary, biblical, or contemporary scene, he is able to add his own flair and underlying narrative, just like his fellow brotherhood members.
The Awakening Conscience (1853) 
The Lady of Shallot (1905)
2 replies on “Realism, Pre-Impressionism, & Pre-Raphaelites”
Tiffany,
The post here on Holman Hunt is pretty good and well researched but if you could add a bit more of your personal feelings to the artist and his work that would help. Another thing is you’ve skipped over blog post #2 as the Pre-Raphaelites fall under blog post #3. You’ll need to circle back and choose someone from Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classicism, and Romanticism.
Jeff
Tiffany,
I’m getting in touch with everyone today to give them their real marks for the mid term quiz. You scored a 46/50 which translates to an A+. Super Congrats.
Jeff