Christ amongst the Doctors by W. Holman Hunt (Photogravure of original drawing). Text beneath image: “Swan Electric Engraving Co. sc” The list of illustrations on p. xi adds “In the possession of J. T. Littlemore.” Source: Pre-Raphaelitism, facing II, 242 [Click on image to enlarge it.]
Christ amongst the Doctors, a design for a never-completed mosaic, has particular interest because here the painter returns to the subject of The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, one of central works of his career — artistically, iconographically, and professionally. Certain differences seem immediately obvious: the child Jesus does not stand outside the group of elderly resistant rabbis but sits surrounded by both elderly men and boys his own age. Hunt seems to be depicting a session of a class rather than an archetypical event. Jesus, furthermore, sits pondering an answer or question.
The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple William Holman Hunt. 1854-60. Oil on canvas, 33 3/4 x 55 1/2 in.
Links to Related Material and Details
- William Holman Hunt’s The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple
- Detail: Elderly man and boy at left
- Biblical scroll
[You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.— George P. Landow.]
Bibliography
Hunt, William Holman. Pre-Raphaelitism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. 2 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1905.
Last modified 19 January 2022