[This essay originally appeared in The Art Bulletin, 64 (1982), 646--55.]
I discovered the existence of the Self-portrait in 1974 when I came upon a photograph of it in a trunk containing various Hunt memorabilia that belonged to Mrs. Elizabeth Burt Tompkin, one of the artist's heirs. This trunk also contained previously unpublished photographs of the artist, his family, and friends. In one of these photographs, which may have assisted Hunt in painting his Self-portrait, he appears seated with his son Cyril upon his lap; the picture is inscribed: "Edith from Holman Feb 11, 1875 2 Wilton Terrace. Taken at Oxford 1872 after return from the East" (Fig. 2). I would like to express my sincere thanks to Elizabeth and Warwick Tompkin, without whose hospitality and encouragement this essay could never have been written, for granting permission to publish Hunt materials in their possession.
See the catalogue of the exhibition, Firenze e l'lnghilterra: Rapporti ar- tistici e culturali dal XVI al XX secolo, Florence, Palazzo Pitti, July- September 1971, No. 82.1 would like to thank the authorities of the Uffizi Gallery for kindly informing me about this exhibition when I first made inquiries about the Self-portrait, and I would also like to thank my student Ms. Terry Hackford for obtaining a photocopy of this catalogue for me.
- Introduction
- Public Meanings (I): Hunt as Oriental Traveler
- Public Meanings (II): Hunt as Religious Naturalist
- The Critical Reception of Hunt's Religious Naturalism
Last modified 12 June 2007