William Holman Hunt: Shadow Of Death and The Scapegoat

William Holman Hunt

Shadow Of Death and The Scapegoat

This painting was done in 1870-73 it is Tempera and Oil on canvas. 

The red woollen crown represents the crown of thorns worn by christ at his crucifixion.  The silhouette behind Christ show his fate and the tools of his death. The scrolls of the law and the pomegranate in the right of the picture, the pomegranates symbolise resurrection and the hope of eternal life. The female figure is Mary the mother of Christ.

The colours are very vibrant and rich, especially the vivid red blood coloured wool which grabs attention. 

Shadow of Death links to a prior painting by Hunt, The Scapegoat. The Scapegoat was painted by Hunt 1854-55 (Oil on Canvas). The Scapegoat represents Christ dying for our sins. Scapegoats in old biblical text were sacrificed to God as an offering for the sins of the Jews.

The rainbow represents resurrection, in comparison to the skull at the left side of the painting which shows  death. The red woollen crown likewise represents the crown of thorns worn at the crucifixion. The bright new colours were created by advances in the chemical industry which allowed paints to become more vivid and bright, this paint was available in metal tubes, the use of metal paint tubes allowed the artist to paint on location in the Middle East. The background of mountains show Usdam near Jordan.

By David Monckton, Jamie Tuckey and Emily Thursfield