Scene from the Story of Joseph

Henry Holiday (1839 – 1927) was a painter as well as an established stained-glass artist who completed commissions for churches both in England and America. In 1855 he was the youngest student of painting at the Royal Academy Schools, and like many young artists was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite painters. He was encouraged by critic John Ruskin (1819 – 1898). In 1862 Holiday's career as a stained-glass artist was launched when he succeeded the artist Edward Burne-Jones (1833 – 1898) as the designer for the glass manufacturing company Messrs. Powell and Sons. He was also an illustrator, his most important illustrations being the ones he made for Lewis Carroll's book 'The Hunting of the Snark'. In the Old Testament Joseph was one of Jacob's 12 sons, who was given a coloured cloak. His brothers were jealous and he was sold in into slavery in Egypt, eventaully becoming a steward to Potiphar, on the Pharaoh's officials. Potiphar's wife tried unsuccessfully to seduce Joseph and he was imprisoned.