The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-10-26
Holman Hunt in the East.
- ~ Wlfeial Reris,r.

From Tie Wldeial Rerisr.
Mr.. Hunt, as it is well known, resides chiefly
in Jerusalem, in order 10 impsrt that intense
fidelity to his Biblical pictures for which he
has been Justly renowned since the exhibition
in 1850 Of his Christ in the Temple" In
deed, for the last twenty years, since he first
began this course Of life, his existence has
NOT onlv been one Of hard labor but Of great
privations and considerable peril. 1t is al
most pathetic 10 hear him expstiate on the
combination Of circumstances which constant
" DELAYED the completion of his Flight into
ECvpt." Thus, the ill-ccnstructed roof Of his
studio let the wet in one rainy season, doing
incaiculable damage 10 his belongings, worst
Of ali to his picture. For, after bringing II 10
England, nearly finished, apparently, the
previous MEETINGS caused the canvas 90 pucker,
and the endeayor 10 remedy this injury gave
him not unly an additional year and halfs
work. but produced an amount Of worry and
anxiety which helped 10 bring on the dangerous
fever which Frustrated him some time ago.
To find the rain spelling his work was on Y
one Of the many difficulties Mr.. Hunt has had
TO cope with. Another problem now was TO
get models, for The ignorant and semi-barbaT-
GUS inhabitants Of the Turkish dominions
who dread nothing more than having their
likeness taken.
Il was not a little puzzled as TO the cause
Of this strange aversion, said Mr.. Hunt:
and one DAY. after being again disappointed
Of a model, / asked venerable Mahomedan
the reason Of il, and learned tha. for man
to sit for his picture was tantamount 10 SELL
ing his soul You see, said be, 'on the Day
Of judgement, when we appear before The
recording angel, our names will all be called
out in turn: but, Of course, there will be such
vast amount Of work that confusion must
arise: then, might not my efhGy get TO the
gates Of Paradise before did and, on the
angels calling out, 'Mustapha, thou mayest
enter nv double would slip in in NY stead.
What would follow? On nv arrival the angel,
hearing the same name, would say, Why,
Mustapha is within: you cannot enter too,
and. on nv demonstrating: be would only
reply. Too late too late, you must 80
hence You have yourself 70 blame for The
mistake Of having your portrait taken I.
This notion that part Of the essence or life Of
an object is transferred 10 its pictorial repre-
seutaiion is not only widespread, but extends
evil 10 inanimate objects, and was near bring
ing me into considerable danger once"
It's the same superstition, no doubt,
which induced the ancients TO burn their
enemies in effgv?"
" Il happened during nv first visit 10 the
East. when l was painting in the background
Of nv Scspegoat, on the shore Of the Dead
Sea, about fifteen miles from Jerusalem.
While painting in the salt-incrusted fore
ground. with DO one but ny servant Solomon
in attendance, 8 party Of feroe-lOokiug Arabs
emerged from a dehie and halted AZ little
distance. examining my work with suspicious
ewes, and eagerly talking aud gesticulatnE
- 4 L
were ominous, but II seemed best TO go on
painting unccncernedly. After much discus
sion. theN at last rode Of, to ny intense relief.
/ then learned from nv servant that they
were acquainted with The stories Of the de-
struction Of the Cities Of the Plain, whose
ruins Law beneath the salt waters; that they
looked upon me as ! ooujurOr whose sole
object in transferring this scene to his canvas
was 70 lsy hold OF the buried treasures Of
Sodon and Gomorrah: which. when the spell
was complete, / should easily effect by pro
nouncinC the proper magical formula. But
was II completes That was the subject Of this
eager consultation. To kill ne and carry Of
the results Of ny supposed tIansmutatiou Of
matter was = mere question OF expediency.
In answer 10 their greedy questiouiugs, tie
cunning Solomon told them that il would re-
cuire smother fortnight for the spell to take
effect: whereas he kuew quite well that three
OF four DAYS more would suffice ne. So, in
tending to return when should have finally
secured the lOrS-buried treasure, they con-
sidersiely spared NY life for tie present"
When VOC painted tie goat in that pic
ture which was 50 near costing ynu your
life, how did YOU manage to get its exirsordi-
nary expression Of dszed anguish ,"
"li was the most difficult thing in the
= ~ l. = So Lee I
wanted When al last 1 did, and WAS fairly
at work. the poor creature sickeaed and, in
spite OF al nv care and iendauce. died. The
expression Of the dying animal was Of great
use 10 re. / confess / had 70 send for
another white goat to the other side Of the
Jniion, and after more trouble and more ex-
peuse got one at last, but after day OF two
the attendant came te ne, saying, Master,
the poor creature is sick; and my second
model passed away from me.
T" The riastna from the Dead Sea uust
have killed the goats; they were not sustain
ed ly your enthusiasm for art.
SO q third animal had &c be procured,
and that, / am glad 10 say. survived the
perils of the situation, and lived 10 skip about
It's native hills"
Mr. Hunt spoke feelingly q the hsrdships
and difficulties which had besei him at tie
teciuuing Of bis career, and one could not
help contrasting this hArd-earned reputation |
with the easy triumPirs uf vastly inferior /
artists. Ore can see the traces Of an almost |
consuming passion for his at IN Mr. Hunts
whole person. He i IS jealous an apostle I
for work as Carlyle Vas.
Il have always found that people who 4
DELAYED doing their work till after certain I
period did nothing al al, said be. The
resolution was gUae. Nothing Is more fatal 4
than putting Of doing 4 ding lill to-uorrOw. 4
Who has no; known students Al the Academy, /
fur example, yOuHg men whom We AL expect
Cd 70 60 great things some day; but they /
EenS on studying. studying: they never pat /
their shoulder 70 the wiieel-perhaps whole /
generation went by thus-always expecting .
something, and their day hzs passed before .
iley were aware OF il , Work is the great i
nan who works Is religious be
adds something 10 the world TO make II better, ]
richer, more complete; It IS capital Of which /
the interest must 20 On increasing iDczieula-
Bis. What | call work Is man givif z his
E6Ole soul to il, shlki1s DOs the Geanest