King of Hearts

W. Holman Hunt

1862

Photogravure of original oil on canvas

Text beneath image: “Swan Electric Engraving Co. sc”

Source: Pre-Raphaelitism, facing II, 222

[Click on image to enlarge it.]

Scanned image and text by George P. Landow

[This image may be used without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose.]

According to the 1863 review in The Reader of the annual Royal Academy exhibition, where Hunt showed this work, it “is a most careful and finished little work of art — not at first sight attractive, but, on attentive examination, revealing the careful reflection which governs all this painter's work. The same observation will apply still more forcibly to the head of Dr. Lushington. There is a wonderful amount of study in it that will never be revealed to the merely careless observer. It always delights us to study the portraits of a great figure-painter; even in their shortcomings and defects they have an interest which is wanting in the ordinary portraits in the room. Our chief regret in regard to Mr. Hunt is the comparative fewness of his works. We should like to have more of his original thoughts, even at the expense of less elaboration” (510-11).

Bibliography

“Art. Royal Academy (Third Notice).” The Reader: A Journal of Literature, Science, and Art. (23 May 1863): 510-11. London: “Published at 112, Fleet Street,” 1863. Hathi Digital Library Trust web version of a copy in the Princeton University Library. 21 July 2016.

Hunt, William Holman. Pre-Raphaelitism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. 2 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1905.

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Last modified 21 July 2016