The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt, 1853
Reviewers gave it a kicking when it first went on show, until Ruskin wrote to The Times to spell out what all the overgrown weeds and the handle-less door were meant to mean — after that it caught on enormously, and he painted later versions that were sent round the world. He's said to have done the night parts outdoors in an orchard, sitting out through winter to get the light right.
Erisava: There's a green glow behind him that no lantern is making. That bit unsettles me. What's your take?
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