The Light of the World

Holman Hunt was still a relatively young man when he painted this in 1854. It caused a sensation in both relgious and artistic establishments. He aso painted it at least twice as he didnt like how the first smaller version was being shown. The original can be seen in Keble College Oxford and the larger version painted in 1904 can be seen in St Pauls Cathedral London.

Holman intended to show God standing outside the door to the individuals heart. The door many never have been opened. The doorway is overgrown with weeds, and there is no handle visible. As a consequence God can only knock and its up to the individual to open the door and to trust in The Light of the world with his symbolic lantern to guide him or her through the darkness of the outside world.

Now here is the odd thing, In my parents home stood a little plaque of this painting. As a child I loved to look at it for lots of reasons: the shape as the top was curved as in the photo here, I liked the eerie darkness of it, I liked the lantern and as a youngster who often visited my aunty who had only a tilly lamp for light, I suppose that clicked too with me. Finally I had noticed too even as a child there was neither a handle nor a door knocker. The plaque was a gift to my father who became a convert.

As most of you know my parents have since died almost two years back, but I still have this wee palque and get much pleasure from it for all sorts of reasons.

I have never particularily thought of its religious connotations, to me the door means lots of things, people, individuals, me, family, life in general. Its what you want to take from it.

Either way I hope you all enoy it on this Good Friday and that yur hearts may open to the light of happiness.