The Scapegoat 1854

William Holman Hunt created “The Scapegoat” using oil on canvas. The goat, adorned with a red band, is a potent symbol drawn from ancient religious rituals, where an animal was symbolically burdened with the sins of a community and then cast out. In ancient Jewish tradition, this ritual served as a means of purification, but the image of the scapegoat has far deeper roots. We see echoes in other cultures, where sacrifice and atonement are visually represented through animals. The image of this burdened creature, ostracized and alone, taps into a collective memory of guilt, redemption, and the psychological need to displace blame. Consider, for instance, how the figure of the scapegoat resurfaces in modern literature and art, embodying societal anxieties and moral failings. It’s a recurring motif—a non-linear, cyclical progression, imbued with new meaning through varying historical contexts.