Sin and Salvation

On Saturday we drove into Toronto to visit the redesigned and expanded Art Gallery of Ontario. While we were curious about the transformation under the architectural direction of Frank Gehry, we were there to see the exhibition of work by William Holman Hunt. Hunt was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite movement of the 19th century, a school of painting that doesn't really turn my crank. Still, with an exhibition entitled Sin and Salvation, how could I resist?

There were really two painting amongst the many to illustrate the "sin and salvation" theme. One is The Light of the World, a subject painted several times by Holman Hunt, and based on a metaphor found in the book of Revelation. The piece at the AGO is small, but I have seen one of the larger versions in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. It show Jesus, the Christ, standing at a door in the gloom of night, with a lantern which illuminates the scene. The actual lantern Holman Hunt used for the painting is part of the AGO exhibit. The door is vine-covered and there is no handle on the exterior. It must be opened from the inside, to welcome Christ in.

The other painting is called The Awakening Conscience. In this work a young woman who is in a compromising position with a rakish young man appears to have a moment of revelation about her lifestyle. While she may look rather modest in her demeanour, her loosened hair and petticoat indicate someone involved in a clandestine affair. In the mirror behind the couple we see her looking to the outside world. These paintings were often exhibited as companions.

I'm not a fan of the sentimentalism of the Pre-Raphaelites but these notions of awakening faith and response to the light of Christ are intriguing. Fashions in painting change but there are some basic precepts of spiritual transformation which endure.