Portrait of William Pink 1842

William Holman Hunt made this oil on canvas portrait of William Pink sometime in the mid-19th century. This was a period of social and artistic transformation in Britain. Hunt was a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists who rejected the Royal Academy’s promotion of idealized beauty. The Pre-Raphaelites sought to bring art back to the detail, intense colors, and complex compositions of medieval and early Renaissance art. Here, Pink is captured with an unflinching realism. The artist captures his likeness in fine detail. Hunt's art, including his portraits, were tied to broader societal shifts in Victorian England, particularly religious, ethical, and social reform. By studying Hunt’s personal letters and diaries, the records of art institutions, and the social history of the time, we can better understand the place of his paintings within the changing cultural landscape.