The Shadow of Death
'The Shadow of Death' by William Holman Hunt
"I love this painting because it shows the whole of Jesus’s life in one image – his birth, his life and his death. Although it is ostensiby a Christian image, the cycle of life applies to all of us, whatever our beliefs."Holman Hunt, who was one of Britain’s greatest painters of religious art, travelled to the Middle East and did the painting in Bethlehem and Jerusalem to capture the exact light and atmosphere."The scene shows Jesus and his mother Mary in his father’s carpenters’ shop. We see Mary searching through the trunk for something amongst the gifts from the Three Kings, we see Jesus, as a young man, stretching his arms after using the saw in the foreground and in the background, we see the shadow cast by Jesus on the wall foretelling his crucifixion."We do not see Mary’s face but can imagine her fear, as she sees the shadow on the wall. The painting is unusual, as it shows Jesus as a working man in an ordinary setting. It shows the love between a mother and her child, which again is universal.
Masterpiece
"The painting is full of symbolism – amongst other things the skein of wool on the floor symbolises the crown of thorns, the arched window forms a halo above Jesus’ head, we see the star of David above the window and the plumb bob positioned on the wall gives the effect of being Jesus’ heart in the shadow.
"With its detailed observation and brilliant colours, I think this painting is an absolute masterpiece – come and experience it for yourself in Gallery 5, Manchester Art Gallery."
"I love this painting because it shows the whole of Jesus’s life in one image – his birth, his life and his death. Although it is ostensiby a Christian image, the cycle of life applies to all of us, whatever our beliefs."Holman Hunt, who was one of Britain’s greatest painters of religious art, travelled to the Middle East and did the painting in Bethlehem and Jerusalem to capture the exact light and atmosphere."The scene shows Jesus and his mother Mary in his father’s carpenters’ shop. We see Mary searching through the trunk for something amongst the gifts from the Three Kings, we see Jesus, as a young man, stretching his arms after using the saw in the foreground and in the background, we see the shadow cast by Jesus on the wall foretelling his crucifixion."We do not see Mary’s face but can imagine her fear, as she sees the shadow on the wall. The painting is unusual, as it shows Jesus as a working man in an ordinary setting. It shows the love between a mother and her child, which again is universal.
Masterpiece
"The painting is full of symbolism – amongst other things the skein of wool on the floor symbolises the crown of thorns, the arched window forms a halo above Jesus’ head, we see the star of David above the window and the plumb bob positioned on the wall gives the effect of being Jesus’ heart in the shadow.
"With its detailed observation and brilliant colours, I think this painting is an absolute masterpiece – come and experience it for yourself in Gallery 5, Manchester Art Gallery."
