The Haunt of the Gazelle

Hunt visited Egypt and Palestine in 1854 in search of authentic settings for his Biblical pictures, such as 'The Scapegoat' (Lady Lever Collection). The gazelle was painted near Gizeh, outside Cairo, resting by a pool in the desert, with the mountains in the distance. The composition is similar to 'The Scapegoat', but the gazelle is an image of gentle repose, without the highly charged religious message of Hunt's painting.