The Scapegoat 1856

"The Scapegoat" (1856) by William Holman Hunt depicts a lone goat standing in a desolate landscape, the animal is laden with a scarlet ribbon around its horns, symbolizing the burden of sin. The goat is a biblical reference to the scapegoat, an animal sent into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people. Hunt's detailed and realistic style, characteristic of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, emphasizes the starkness of the scene and the solitary figure of the goat, creating a powerful and evocative image of sacrifice and atonement.