William Holman Hunt was a colorful character. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, alongside John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Millais was an elegant and sophisticated prodigy of the Royal Academy of Art, while Rossetti was a stunning and sensual English-bred Italian of infinite artistic potential. Hunt, like Millais, was a member of the Royal Academy, though he had been previously rejected. This led Hunt to be rebellious, garnering the nickname 'Maniac'. Defying the rationalism of Renaissance artists like Raphael, the brotherhood sought the spiritual qualities of medieval art. It was Hunt who would remain truest to this notion. Millais happily fell into domestication with Effie Gray, formerly Effie Ruskin, and their eight children. Rossetti gradually lost his mind, holing up in his Chelsea home with his growing brood of wild animals. After a tumultuous attempt at converting a siren barmaid, Annie Miller, into a wife, Hunt dedicated himself to religious art. (Though he found time to controversially marry his late wife's sister.)
Hunt had a vivid eye for color and detail. As Hunt grew older, his eyesight grew weaker, leading him to give up painting. He insisted he simply couldn't obtain the quality he aspired to. As Hunt grew older, his beard also grew increasingly unruly. This earns him an instant spot in my continuous thread of beards, joining the ranks of parts one, two, Roy Harper, and Jim Henson. Beardy genius is always coveted.
Though I've gravitated more toward the unapologetic sensuality of Rossetti's work and the stately elegance of Millais', Holman Hunt was the first Pre-Raphaelite I loved. His 1905 interpretation of The Lady Of Shalott hung proudly as the centerpiece of my childhood home. I continue to be spellbound by its vibrant colors and varied patterns.
