William Holman Hunt
(1827-1910)

The Flight of Madeline and Porphyro during the Drunkness attending the Revelry Eve of Saint Agnes
 

Think that you may own a painting by William Holman Hunt? We authenticate, appraise and issue Certificates of Authenticity (COA) to all paintings by William Holman Hunt.

The Hireling Shepherd
 

William Holman Hunt was a British golden age painter and was one of the founding members of the pre-Raphaelite movement. Hunt helped to form this translucent and mystical style which was influenced by Renaissance art and initially rejected by the Royal Academy. Along with fellow painter John Everett Millais, Hunt began a style which would become very popular and successful, both artistically and commercially and embodied the ideals set by the painter Raphael.

The Light of the World
 

Though his first name was William, he eventually took to using his middle name “Holman” and signed his paintings that way. The young Hunt found little success at the outset of his career, and was deemed as a clumsy painter, and his compositions were thought to be ugly. He eventually found fame with his religious paintings, as well as for his naturalistic scenes of urban and country life.

May Morning on Magdalen Tower
 

Religion would become a major influence in Hunt’s art, and he even made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in order to research one of his works. While there he painted many landscapes of the region as well as a number of religious compositions.

The Lantern Maker's Courtship

The Finding of the Savior in the Temple

The Shadow of Death
 

Hunt also created portraits as well as illustration for books and poems, all with the same intricate attention to detail that the pre-Raphaelites would become known for. These paintings were rife with symbolism and bold color, and were comprised of mythological and religious figures, as well as regional figures and objects. Hunt thought that it was the duty of the artist to show the correspondence between fact and sign and out of all of the pre-Raphaelites was said to have been the most true to their ideals.

Isabella and the Pot of Basil

The Scapegoat

Portrait of a Woman
 

Towards the end of his career, Hunt’s eyesight began to fail him. As a result, he accepted the help of fellow painter Edward Robert Hughes in completing a number of his paintings, including his famous “The Lady of Shalott.”

The Lady of Shalott
 

Today, Hunt’s paintings are housed all over the world and are highly sought after at auction for their mystical radiance and religious elements. Still wondering about a British painting in your family collection? Contact us…it could be by William Holman Hunt.

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