Pre-Raphaelites in the Holy Land

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, was founded in London (September 1848) by a group of seven British young artists. They were all students at the Royal Academy, who believed, as they saw it, in restoring 'purity' to British painting, or, in other words, to return to principles of Western art as expressed before those of High Renaissance painter Raphael. Soon the group was followed by adherents to their doctrine, who did not belong to the official group. Pre-Raphaelite painters were deeply influenced by the writings of philosopher, art critic, artist John Ruskin, especially by his book Modern Painters and by the poetic oeuvre of John Keats. Ruskin's concept of 'Truth to Nature', advocated the creation of realistic painting through which artists would achieve the sought after purity in painting and thus would produce modern ways of conveying religious messages.

Following Ruskin's advocacy, William Holman Hunt believed that as a painter – and educator – he would find 'Truth to Nature' for his deeply religious paintings by travelling to the Holy, in which he would be able to feel the natural habitat of Jesus. Hunt visited the Holy Land four times: first in 1854 and later in 1869, 1875, 1892. On his first trip he was joined by his colleague Thomas Seddon.

Mishory's lecture will trace Hunt and Seddon's travels in the Holy Land, will mention their meetings with significant local figures that influenced the subjects and formal qualities of their paintings as well as those by British 'Nonesense' poet Edward Lear.