The Light of the World

The Light of the World

The light of the world

When William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) painted ‘The Light of the World’ between 1851 and 1853, he was influenced by the spirituality of the Oxford Movement. The painting depicts a scene from Revelation 3:20, in which Jesus says: ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.’ Christ, in the painting carries a lantern, representing the light of conscience, and has a halo signifying the light of salvation. There is no handle on the door, and it is overgrown with ivy and bramble, symbolising the human heart or mind closed off to spirituality which Christ seeks to enter.

Thomas Combe (1796-1872), who was a strong supporter of the Tractarian Movement and patron of Pre-Raphaelite painters, bought the work in 1853. His widow Martha donated it to Keble College in 1873, where it now hangs in the Side Chapel. It caused a sensation and was one of the most widely reproduced images of its age.

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Museum of Oxford

Photo credit: Keble College, Oxford/ Art UK, CC BY-NC 4.0

A painting of Jesus Christ with a gold cloak and crown of thorns. He holds a bright lantern and knocks on a door overgrown with plants.