The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-10-02 00:00:00

ARTS,.

THE LIGHT OE THE WORLD. By NV. RohnEit Hunt.
Now on view at the Gallery of Messrs. T. Ape* and
:49115,
ief the rainy pictures which have been exhibited in
the cOn'fifty, none offers the extraordinary claims to
notice which *e abinit to paint out as belonging to
this certainly the ni'CL-t impressiie work that has
emanated from the school famed pre-Raphaelite, of
which Mr. Hunt has decidedly taken' tt-e lead. It is a
painted parable, combining in one figure several of the
types under which the Christ is spoken of in the Scrip-
tifrei ; and, to speak of it as a work of art, it, is concei'fed
in a spiYit imbued not only with religious inspiration,
but a learned Eitertraintance with Holy Writ and a deep
sentiment of devotion, and pat into visible form with
consummate skill as reglttds the design and the peculiar
illumination of the subject, find wrought up in all the
details with a perfection of finish that surpasses anything
yet produced in the same medium—oil-4iy. any artist of
this country. Yet, exquisite as is thelnanipulafitin, it is on
far higher attributes that we depend for making good
our assertion that this is to be looked upon as a picture
conveying lessons of the highest import to Christians,
and as serving to impress, with vivid reality on the
mind, the Saviour in a four-fold impersonation, as God,
who had taken upon himself the person of man; as the
" light of high
the world ; " as a priest after the order
of Meichisedek ; and the character in which these words
represent him--"behold I stand at the door and knock ;
if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will
come in and sup with him and he with me " Rev. iii
20. In the representation of "the word made flesh,"
the figure comes as near perfection as hunnni faculties
can attain—the beautiful countenance, "as the sun
shineth in strength," is radiant with life, and is iderttiNed
At once as that of " a man of, sorrows," who waits with
resignation to see if his knocks at the door are to be
answered: knowing but too well how "the light shineth
in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not."
Then, as "The Light of the World," that light (Or
word) that John came to bear witness of, and whose
own words are—" T am come a light into the world that
whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness,"
our Saviour is seen bearing a lantern, on which we
trace the seven stars which represent the seven angels
or ministers of the churches, which are to spread the
ligiit atifog the Gentiles. Christ has the halo of
divinity atoiind his head, and the crown of thorns bud-
ding into leaf, emblematic of the accepted sacrifice of
his humiliation and sufferings, conjoined with which is
a regal crown, proving His sovereignty as "King of
kings, and only ruler of Princes," himself the "Prince
of peace." In his capacity of priest, after the order of
Melchisedek, "a grand High Priest," "that is passed into
the heavens—Jesus, the Son of God," "who is made, not
after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the
power of an endless life," he is clothed with a crimson
Mantle; richly embroidered with precious stones and
metals, and this Is clasped with the symbolical jewels of
the Levite priesthood; but these decorations are strictly
allegorical, for by the eternal priesthood of Christ, the
Levitical priesthood of Aaron is abolished. The hour
is night, as is indicated by the moonlight which
plays on the ivy over the door, and falls here and there
on the person of Our Saviour, mingling with the arti-
ficial light from the lantern with magical, but radiant
effect. The'warm glow likewise illuminates the face, and
sparkles in the beaming eyes of Our Lord. The parable
is still further sustained by the import conveyed by the
door, at which the Saviour knocks, being over-run with
ivy and bramble, and choked with noisome weeds ; while
the hinges are rusted from disuse, and thus typify the
sinner, perverse acrd impenitent, who, like "the deaf
adder, stoppeth his ears and will not hear the charmer,
charm he never so wisely." The degree of elaborate
accuracy with which every point, however minute, is
wrought out, is as wonderful as the thought evinced in
the invention of this allegory, than which nothing ever
painted suggests so much for serious contemplation, or is
more capable, if carefully studied and digested, of im-
proving those who examine it. in a proper spirit, The
engraving will be not only an ornament, but a valuable
medium of religious instruction—a beautiful specimen
of art, if we are to judge by the etching, and one of
those suggestive subjects that may will find a place in
every Christian family.—Communicated.