Skip to Content

The Shadow of Death

A work made of oil on panel.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of oil on panel.

Date:

1873-74

Artist:

William Holman Hunt (English, 1827-1910)

About this artwork

This minutely detailed painting depicts the young Jesus stretching after his day’s labor in his father’s carpentry shop. His mother kneels behind him, looking up at his shadow, which seems to prefigure his crucifixion. The painting teems with symbolism. For example, the star-shaped aperture above the window recalls the light that guided a group of priestly wise men, called Magi, to the newborn Jesus, and the red headdress at his feet foreshadows the crown of thorns he will wear at his execution.

William Holman Hunt, a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, was committed to direct observation of nature. This work is the third and final version of a composition the artist began in 1869 in Jerusalem, where he could study the setting from life. It was commissioned by the London dealers Thomas Agnew & Sons as the model for a print. The Art Institute’s collection also includes an early proof of that print.

This is one of thirty-five works that comprise the Winterbotham Collection. Click here to learn more about the collection.

Status

On View, Gallery 223

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

William Holman Hunt

Title

The Shadow of Death

Place

England (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1873–1874

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

104.5 × 82 cm (41 × 32 1/4 in.); Framed: 137.2 × 115.9 × 9.6 cm (54 × 45 5/8 × 3 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Joseph Winterbotham Collection

Reference Number

2021.54

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/260424/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share