ABSTRACT
William Holman Hunt usual practice to employ studio assistants when a smaller version entirely postdates the primary work, though this was not something he wanted generally known. Hunt was able to copy the small version from the larger one, since at the time they were both owned by Gambart. There are, however, some differences. Hunt’s next major religious picture occupied much of his later career. In 1876 the artist began a painting of The Triumph of the Innocents in Jerusalem on a locally bought canvas, which later caused him significant problems. The extra width gave Hunt more space on the right-hand side of the canvas, and this enabled him to add a censer carried by the Innocent on the farthest right. Hunt’s last replica, and the only one that is considerably larger than the primary version, was The Light of the World ; because of his failing sight, it was partly painted by Edward Robert Hughes.
