WILLIAM HOLMAN HUNT'S 'THE SCAPEGOAT' (1854): A STUDY IN SYMBOLISM AND NATURE
Updated: 4 days ago
William Holman Hunt painted The Scapegoat in 1854-1855 on the shore of the Dead Sea, working outdoors to capture a salt-stained landscape. The goat stands for the ritual described in Leviticus 16, in which the sins of the people were symbolically loaded on to an animal and sent into the wilderness.
What is the scapegoat ritual?
In Leviticus 16, on the Day of Atonement, the priest lays the community's sins on a live goat, which is then driven into the desert. Christian readers later saw the goat as a figure of Christ bearing the sins of others. Hunt, a deeply religious Pre-Raphaelite, set out to show it literally, in the kind of place where it might have happened.
How did Hunt paint it?
He travelled to the Middle East in 1854 and worked on the shore of the Dead Sea, painting directly from the landscape. The goat has a red band round its horns and stands among bleached bones at the water's edge. The larger version is in the Lady Lever Art Gallery near Liverpool, and a smaller version is also in Manchester.
Zocine Art Design is an independent studio that prints classic paintings as wall art. See this print at the Zocine Art Design shop.
William Holman Hunt's "The Scapegoat" (1854) exemplifies the Pre-Raphaelite movement's dedication to detail, symbolism, and emotion. This painting, depicting a solitary goat in a desolate landscape, conveys deep themes of sacrifice and atonement. Hunt's work reflects the mid-19th century's artistic innovation, particularly in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's impact on Victorian art and culture. For a closer look at this significant artwork, visit here.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is The Scapegoat by Holman Hunt?
The larger version is in the Lady Lever Art Gallery at Port Sunlight, and a smaller version is in Manchester.
Where was The Scapegoat painted?
On the shore of the Dead Sea, during Hunt's trip to the Middle East in 1854-1855.
What does the scapegoat mean?
The animal carries the sins of the people into the wilderness, as described in Leviticus 16.
Zocine Art Design is an independent studio that prints classic paintings as wall art. Keep reading: WILLIAM HOLMAN HUNT'S 'STREET SCENE IN CAIRO': A VICTORIAN GLIMPSE INTO THE ORIENT · The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Explained Through Seven Paintings · The Pre-Raphaelites: How Millais, Rossetti, and Burne-Jones Changed Victorian Painting
More on the movement: Pre-Raphaelite Paintings: 5 Key Works and the Brotherhood Behind Them
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