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The Scapegoat, 1854-55 (oil on canvas)
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The Scapegoat, 1854-55 (oil on canvas)
MAN62950 The Scapegoat, 1854-55 (oil on canvas) by Hunt, William Holman (1827-1910); 33.7x45.9 cm; Manchester Art Gallery, UK; (add.info.: Vividly coloured depiction of a russet coloured goat on the brink of death. The goat stands in the centre foreground, head lowered, haunches caving in, and tongue hanging out. The desert landscape in which it stands is barren. It is dominated by a range of hills in purple and pink, above which is a yellow and pink sky with a bright sun in the upper left corner and almost black clouds in the right; in contrast to the dark weight of the clouds is a rainbow, which appears in the right of the composition, at the foot of which is the carcass of a camel. To the left of the goat and echoing its inevitable fate is the skull of an ibex, silhouetted against the reflected light of the sun. The goat has been cast out into the wilderness to suffer for the sins of Man. The painting explores the Old Testament description of the Jewish ritual of atonement: "And the Goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited." (Leviticus, 16, 22), and Isaiah, 1, 18: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool". Wound around the base of the goat's horns is red wool, symbolising the sins with which it has been burdened. Frame: made of oak, softwood and compo, gilded; probably original to the painting; outer border of beading, then reeding framing a frieze of flower heads in roundels, with an inner border of beading.
Hunt began this painting on a visit to the Dead Sea. It depicts the scapegoat of the Old Testament and the Talmud, cast out into the wilderness to bear away human sins. To Hunt, this symbol of atonement also represented a type or fore-runner of Christ who would likewise die for the sins of the world. The red ribbon round its head was intended to refer both to rituals in the Talmud and to the crown of thorns Christ would wear. The skeleton of a camel and an ibex tell us the fate that will befall the goat, while the rainbow offers a suggestion of hope. Ford Madox Brown summed up Hunt's achievement in transforming the mundane into the sublime: Hunt's Scapegoat requires to be seen to be believed in. Only then can it be understood how... out of an old goat, and some saline incrustations, can be made one of the most tragic and impressive works in the annals of art.
); © Manchester Art Gallery
Media ID 32133528
© Manchester Art Gallery / Bridgeman Images
Goat Isaiah Leviticus Moon Moonlight Rainbow Reflection Skull Talmud Wilderness Young Goat Pre Raphaelite
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The Scapegoat
EDITORS COMMENTS
by William Holman Hunt is a captivating and thought-provoking masterpiece that delves into themes of sacrifice, sin, and redemption. This print captures the vivid colors and intricate details of the original oil on canvas painting housed in the Manchester Art Gallery. At the center of the composition stands a russet-colored goat, its head lowered in resignation, haunches caving in from exhaustion. The barren desert landscape surrounding it reflects its desolation. Above, a yellow and pink sky with an intense sun contrasts with almost black clouds, while a rainbow offers a glimmer of hope. The goat symbolizes the scapegoat described in Leviticus 16:22, burdened with human sins and cast out into an uninhabited land to atone for them. The red wool wound around its horns represents these burdensome sins. As viewers gaze upon this poignant scene, they are reminded of Isaiah 1:18's promise that even scarlet sins can be made white as snow. William Holman Hunt masterfully transforms this seemingly mundane subject matter into something sublime through his attention to detail and symbolism. By incorporating elements from both Jewish rituals and Christian imagery such as thorns crowning Christ's head, he draws parallels between their sacrificial significance. "The Scapegoat" serves as a powerful reminder of humanity's capacity for sin but also offers hope for redemption through sacrifice. It is truly one of the most tragic yet impressive works in art history—a testament to Hunt's artistic genius and ability to evoke profound emotions within viewers.
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