And Their Ears Are Dull of Hearing, 1877. Oil on canvas, 273/4 x 181/2 inches (70.6 X 47 cm). Private Collection.
This is one of Smetham’s best-known religious paintings. Casteras had these comments on the picture: “And Their Ears Are Dull of Hearing portrays Christ as preacher, revealing himself and the words of scripture to a group whose reactions range from rapt adoration to indifference. Perhaps this was an analogy to Methodist ministers or had even more personal meaning, for Smetham attempted to follow a sanctified teaching role himself. These pictures formed part of an informal series, of which Smetham wrote, ‘I see links in the chain of my Scripture pictures Emmaus in the Resurrection Day and Dull of Hearing is the Giant Teacher in his journey through times’” (105). Perhaps Smetham might also have equated the indifference of some individuals to Christ’s words to the lack of interest of the critics and the general public to his own works of art.
Bibliography
Casteras, Susan P. James Smetham: Artist, Author, Pre-Raphaelite Associate. Aldershot, U.K.: Scholar Press, 1995.
Last modified 23 March 2022