Visualising Britain’s Holy Land in the Nineteenth Century

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 1-12

3. Britain’s Vision of the Holy Land

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 13-44

4. Holy Land and British Perceptions

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 45-68

5. David Roberts: The Biblical Landscape

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 69-88

6. David Roberts: Experience of Place

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 89-112

7. David Wilkie: Bible Stories in Context

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 113-147

8. William Holman Hunt: Archaeology, Theology and Biblical Typology

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 149-174

9. William Holman Hunt: Faith Experience and New Images

   • Amanda M. Burritt

   Pages 175-202

10. Conclusion

    • Amanda M. Burritt

    Pages 203-209

11. Back Matter

    Pages 211-239

    PDF

This book demonstrates the complexity of nineteenth-century Britain’s engagement with Palestine and its surrounds through the conceptual framing of the region as the Holy Land. British engagement with the region of the Near East in the nineteenth century was multi-faceted, and part of its complexity was exemplified in the powerful relationship between developing and diverse Protestant theologies, visual culture and imperial identity. Britain’s Holy Land was visualised through pictorial representation which helped Christians to imagine the land in which familiar Bible stories took place. This book explores ways in which the geopolitical Holy Land was understood as embodying biblical land, biblical history and biblical typology. Through case studies of three British artists, David Roberts, David Wilkie and William Holman Hunt, this book provides a nuanced interpretation of some of the motivations, religious perspectives, attitudes and behaviours of British Protestants in their relationship with the Near East at the time.

• Palestine
• Christianity
• Visual culture
• British Empire
• Protestantism
• David Roberts
• David Wilkie
• William Holman Hunt
• Near East
• Orientalism
• Exploration
• Bible

“Burritt’s book is elegantly written and deeply informative. It is an excellent addition to the series of publications by Palgrave Macmillan on 'Britain and the World.’” (Nabil Matar, Victorian Studies, Vol. 65 (2), 2023)


“Visualising Britain’s Holy Land in the Nineteenth Century offers a helpful new way to look at the relationship between nineteenth century Britain and the Holy Land. … Burritt’s book will therefore be of interest not only to students and scholars of art, religion, or colonialism in the nineteenth century, but also to those looking at the roots of contemporary Christian attitudes toward Israel and Palestine.” (Andrew Crome, Journal of British Studies, Vol. 60 (4), October, 2021)

• Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

  Amanda M. Burritt

Amanda M. Burritt is a lecturer in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia. After extensive experience in secondary school teaching and museum education she completed a PhD in History at Monash University, Australia. She also has academic qualifications in Art History, Theology and Education, and is particularly interested in the relationship between theology, cultural history and visual culture. 

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