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2nd April 2017
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood co-founder (along with Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Everett Millais) was born on this day in 1827, and died on the 7th September 1910.
The English painter was the only member of the Brotherhood who remained faithful to the Pre-Raphaelite aims throughout his career. As described by Art UK, “Hunt’s work was remarkable for its minute precision, its accumulation of incident, and its didactic emphases on moral or social symbolism, and he made three visits to the Middle East so he could paint biblical scenes with accurate local detail.”
If you’d like to know about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, take a look at our past blogs where we take a deeper look! The three founders sought to revitalise art by detailed observations of the natural world in truthful portrayals.
In his personal life, Hunt married twice after a failed engagement to model Annie Miller. He married Fanny Waugh, the daughter of a prosperous London chemist and posed for the figure of Isabella. She died in childbirth in Italy and was buried in the English cemetery in Florence in a tomb he sculpted for her, placed next to the tomb of Elizabeth Barrett Browning for her final resting place. His relationship with St Mark’s Church in Florence meant he could pay to have a inscription on the communion chalice in Fanny’s memory. The second time he married was a controversial one as he married Fanny’s sister Edith. It was illegal in England at this time to marry a deceased wife’s sister and so the pair went overseas to marry which as you can imaging caused conflict amongst family members and friends. Thomas Woolner in particular fell out with Hunt- former colleagues of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, he’d once been in love with Fanny, before marrying their third sister, Alice.
It’s surprising today when his works are in famous art galleries, that Hunt’s works were not initially successful. They were deemed ‘clumsy’ and ‘ugly’ in the art community and though at the time he was recognised for his n naturalistic scenes, it’s his religious pieces that have stood the test of time to become his legacy. Most notably, ‘The Light of the World’ (1851-1853) which now can be seen in the chapel at Keble College, Oxford and a later version (1900) which toured the world and now lives in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. He even built his own house in Jerusalem.
Towards the later years of his life, he was no longer able to paint due to his failing eyesight meaning he could no longer achieve the quality he wanted. His last major works were completed with his assistant Edward Robert Hughes help- including ‘The Light of the World.’ He died on 7th September 1910 and was laid to rest in St Paul’s Cathedral.
We’ve been lucky enough to visit some of his famous art pieces in Birmingham Art Gallery- the attention to detail he remains famous to is even more astonishing in real life- he’s truly a master of his craft so it’s no surprise his legacy has lived on to ensure his place in the art world even today.
William Holman Hunt – ‘The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple’
William Holman Hunt- ‘Dante Gabriel Rossetti’ c.1882
Oil on Panel
Painted shortly after Rossetti’s death, it was created at an emotional time by Hun’s own account just after he lost a friend. The painting marks the days when Hunt was recalling, “memories of early days when, partly by the noisy blundering of followers we were driven to stand as though we were reckless in our challenges of the whole world.”
William Holman Hunt – ‘Self -Portrait’ 1945
A self portrait he painted of himself, aged 17 when he was a student at the Royal Academy Schools in London.
Let’s not forget our favourite…
William Holman Hunt- May Morning on Magdalen Tower, 1888
The painting centres around his feelings about preserving the customs traditional in England. It shows the riding sun on May Day from the Tower of Magdalen College, Oxford.
Which is your favourite Holman-Hunt works?
Posted in News by Laura
Gorgeous William Morris Sweet Briar fabric! 🌿 Love the green leaves and pink flowers 🫶🏻 We have it in cotton, heavyweight cotton, and pvc, so you’ll find the perfect fit for your project ✨ 🪡🧵
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We’re having a moving sale over on our website! ✨ There are some absolute bargains to be had, including all these items! 🛒 Remember we offer free UK postage on all orders too 🌿 Plus we have a 15% off code running at the moment with code; JAN15 🫶🏻
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We’ve got some fab bundles on our Etsy - we have a lot of offcuts from end of rolls and floral fabric magic can’t be wasted so we bundle them up ✨ Perfect for crafting, we have heavyweight fabric bundles and cotton available now, but hurry, they always sell out quick 🥰
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Guess who has a new bed for our new offices ✨ The king of naps, he will wake for biscuits, pets and little else during his day in the office 🫶🏻 His bed is covered in our licensed William Morris Willow Bough green and it looks so beautiful 🌿 The perfect bed to nap on all day ✨
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Has anyone got any January crafts? ❄️ After we’ve settled in our new office, we’re planning some cosy January crafts whilst we hibernate a little! 🌨️ This board is a beautiful way to display photos and notes that was covered in a fabric we no longer loved so last year I recovered it with something we did like - a range of our exclusive quilting fabrics and now it hangs proudly on the wall, showing you can upcycle things to be something you really love 🫶🏻
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We’ve been a little quiet on here as we’ve been in the absolute trenches moving our office! ✨ Now we just need to settle in and find everything we’ve shoved in boxes and bags and then stashed in random places(!) but, we’re getting there 🫶🏻 Nothing will change for you ordering but we’ll have a new returns address 📮 It’s taken an absolute task force to move all that fabric and products and we’ve found some things for a little moving sale if anyone is interested… ✨
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Not long to go until Christmas now ✨ Have you got your Christmas table sorted and your presents wrapped? 🎄
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The stockings were hung by the fire with care…✨ A week until Christmas Eve! 🎄 Still lots of time to order since we post the next working day with a 24hr service 🤶🏻
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One of our biggest sellers this year for Christmas gifts - our licensed William Morris oven gloves ✨ Practical and stylish, every home needs a set, hanging some Morris floral magic over the cooker 🎄 Lots of designs are still in stock and with our free UK postage being tracked 24 Royal Mail, there’s still quite a few shopping days left until Christmas 📮 (I’ll even gift wrap it for free for you as an option at checkout, even though my own Christmas gifts are all hidden in the wardrobe still to wrap 😂) 🤶🏻🎅🏼
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One pack of napkins folded four ways for Christmas tablescapes ✨ Which is your favourite? 🎄 We always love when a table set up comes with a little chocolate treat 🎅🏼 Beautiful Charlotte Rose is one of our favourites all year round, it can be dressed so many ways from Christmas to summer 🫶🏻
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There’s still plenty of shopping time before Christmas with our free UK postage with Royal Mail tracked 24 📮 We’re also doing free gift wrap on our website as an option at checkout 🤶🏻 Take 15% off too until the 20th December so whether for a gift of Christmas hosting having beautiful florals on the table, use code; FESTIVE at checkout on our website 🎄
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Oh Mallow Forest Green, we love you on our festive tablescapes 🎄
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Obsessed with this tree with all the vintage ornaments on the tree this year ✨ They were all grandparents so very special 🎄 having a little coffee and cake whilst the lights twinkle is so lovely ✨ This is our William Morris Golden Lily tablecloth, beautiful year round 🫶🏻
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It’s a blue and white Christmas over here 🙋🏽♀️ We went to the beautiful Christmas event at @harewoodhouse by the wonderfully talented @interiorcurve and we’re so inspired to have a themed blue and white tree and we’re so glad we did! 🤶🏻 This is our William Morris Merton blue, isn’t it beautiful, and so lovely to be able to dress it in various ways throughout the year, it’s so versatile ✨
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What design are you having on your Christmas table? 🎄 We’re debating a few - our new forest green colours, our strawberry thief red, or maybe a Christmas blue and white… ✨
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Christmas tablescaping all month long ✨ are you feeling festive already? 🎄 This is our Brother Rabbit blue design, isn’t it gorgeous 🌿
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BLACK FRIDAY ENDS TONIGHT! ✨ use code; BLACKFRIDAY at checkout on our website to take 20% off everything - go, go, go! 🎄 We also have free gift wrap available at checkout so we can send gifts directly to loved ones or back to you gift wrapped and ready to go, we’re in the festive spirit so will gift wrap whilst we sing along to some festive songs 🤶🏻🎄
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A very floral Christmas🎄 Our William Morris Sweet Briar design looks so beautiful dressed up for Christmas! ✨
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One thing that is wonderful about timeless design is that you can use it year round- dressed with Christmas candles and foliage, springtime blooms, summer florals and autumn pumpkins - it can see you through it all 🫶🏻 That’s why we want to show them in a Christmas setting so you can see they’re a perfect gift for your loved one or for your own table ✨ Which is your favourite season to dress your table for? 🎄
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Did you know we sell fat quarters in all our designs? 🪡 A perfect gift for the sewers, quilters and crafters in your life, there’s a design for everyone within our collection of licensed William Morris designs and original florals 🎄
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