The Light of the World

William Holman Hunt

The Light of the World (William Holman Hunt) — The Light of the World · William Holman Hunt · 1851–53.

Size2:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

Ships worldwide in 3–6 business days after production

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: William Holman Hunt (1827–1910)
Year: 1851–1853
Medium: Oil on canvas over panel
Original size: 125 × 60 cm
Collection: Keble College Chapel, Oxford
Movement: Pre-Raphaelite

Christ, crowned with thorns and carrying a lantern, stands at night in an orchard and knocks at a wooden door overgrown with weeds and ivy; the door has no handle on the outside and can be opened only from within. Hunt painted it between 1851 and 1853, working at night in a makeshift hut at Ewell in Surrey to get the moonlight right, and exhibited it at the Royal Academy in 1854 with the verse from Revelation that it illustrates. John Ruskin's letter to The Times defended it against critics and made it famous. Thomas Combe, the printer who bought it, left it to Keble College, Oxford, where it hangs in a side chapel. Hunt painted a larger version in old age that toured the British Empire; it is in St Paul's Cathedral.

This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.

Details & materials

• Restored in-house from the original painting — cleaned and colour-trued at museum resolution • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24 in; 16×24 also available framed in black or natural wood • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Produced in 2–4 business days, then shipped from the facility nearest you. Delivery is typically 3–6 business days (US/UK/EU) and 5–12 worldwide. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The image fills the print at the painting's own proportions; nothing is trimmed to fit a frame.

Is The Light of the World in the public domain?

Yes. William Holman Hunt (1827–1910) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by Keble College Chapel.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches; the two larger sizes are also offered framed. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was The Light of the World painted, and in what medium?

The Light of the World dates from 1851–1853 and was made in oil on canvas over panel; the original measures 125 × 60 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

For a standard three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×36 inches reads as a single statement piece; 16×24 suits a narrower wall or a pairing. The print's proportions follow the original, so a landscape-format painting is wider than it is tall.

About this design

The Light of the World (William Holman Hunt) — The Light of the World · William Holman Hunt · 1851–53. This is a fine-art reproduction of a public-domain masterwork, shown whole and uncropped on a gallery ground, printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Three sizes (12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in); the 16×24 and 24×36 are also offered framed. Part of the Madten Fine Art Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

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The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in ~4–8 business days.

Secure checkout. Payments handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card.

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