William Holman Hunt, a Pre-Raphaelite

The pre-Raphaelite painters have always had my heart. From the vivid and lush environments of Millais’ work to the ethereal figures of Edward Burne-Jones, there is a dreamlike quality in these romantic paintings that captures my attention. One of my favorites, however, is a painting of Jesus: “Light of the World” by William Holman Hunt. He actually created three different versions of this vision, which he believed came to him by divine instruction. Below you can see the three versions side-by-side, with the dates they were painted and who currently owns them.

1851-1853, Keble College, Oxford

1851-1856, Manchester Art Gallery

1900-1904, St. Paul's Cathedral

Christian Symbolism

Hunt was deeply religious, and you can see this clearly in the rich symbolism of this painting. Besides the fact that this is a portrait of Jesus, there are additional things that add to the narrative.

There are two points of light in the painting - Jesus’ halo and a lantern that he carries. Some have said the lantern is a light of consciousness, and that he is bringing light to awaken the person’s home (soul). I love the way that Jesus is depicted here with a crown of thorns, both identifying him and embodying his sacrificial purpose. This is the reason that He died for us, to bring us life and light.

Behind Jesus is a sky of dawn, a part of the vision that Hunt found challenging to perfect until he traveled to Bethlehem and saw the perfect sunrise. The morning star also appears in the sky above his head, representing the renewal that Jesus brings (Revelation 22:16). Apple trees are seen in the distance behind the figure, symbolic of original sin - probably from legends that the fruit that Eve ate was an apple.

Jesus is shown knocking at a door that is sealed shut, overgrown in ivy and surrounded by autumnal foliage. We can’t even see a handle or hinges on the door. Another writing of this work observed that Jesus himself is the door, and metaphorically he is. Often, the human heart is hardened and firmly shut before Christ finds us.

“Jesus at the Door,” 9”x12” graphite drawing by Olivia Chapman, 2025

Comparing to “Jesus at the Door”

There’s little to compare to the great work of art in terms of skill, and visually it is quite different, too. But in my drawing, I hoped to bring about a similar message.

I rely on references for my art, like most representational artists. With this being said, my final product is heavily directed by the references I can find; sometimes the images come together in a way that I find new meaning from it after its created.

I set out to make a work of art similar to Hunt’s painting, as in, there would be Jesus bringing light to a door. Mine differs in the fact that the door is open, and Jesus is further away from it, taking a more action-oriented pose. I also chose a very romantic setting of roses illuminated by the torchlight, somewhat different than vines and plants in Hunt’s paintings.

The Open Door

The door is a symbol of a human heart - in my drawing it is an open door. In some evangelical circles (or Arminianism schools of thoughts, more specifically) there is a heavy emphasis on man’s free will to choose God. The thought is the door must be open to receiving Jesus and his good news of salvation. This is not particularly what I am trying to say in the art. Maybe it brings up these things for discussion, or maybe you can see it as the door having been opened by Christ already, and now, after salvation, he is outside combating the dark and actively saving the human heart from the evil of the world. For we are not saved and all is well; we are continually being sanctified as we live out our faith in this fallen world.

The Torch

In classical mythology, Lucifer has been personified as a man bearing a torch. This symbolism permeates many topics, especially in popular media where the hidden (occult) messages are about Luciferian religion (this is a deep topic I’m not going into in this article, I encourage you to look into it though). Luciferianism is really about human elevation through knowledge, not purely a worship of Satan as it is commonly known. By choosing to have Jesus carry the true light of the torch to the human door in my drawing, I see an acknowledgment that human will cannot bring about its own salvation. We cannot make ourselves God or attain all the knowledge available to us (let alone the knowledge that is unavailable!).

Roses

Roses are a beautiful, romantic and sometimes even gothic and dark way to add beauty to an image. A book, “Nature and Its Symbols,” describes red roses in classical art of Jesus as a symbol of his passion. According to legend, the thorns on roses did not appear until after the Fall of Man, giving the rose a symbolism of purity and perfection. This book describes roses as also having a strong relationship with the Virgin Mary throughout different scenes of classical paintings. Jesus was born without sin, so we might think of his being in the womb as personified by the perfect rose.

In Conclusion

I know that I breezed over a variety of topics in this article, but hopefully you enjoyed my intro to a few pieces of symbolism in art. What do you think about my critique of my own artwork? Does it look like it was inspired by “Light of the World?” Let me know in the comments! And if you want to learn more about something, check out these other links below. If you’re interested in purchasing my drawing, click here.