The Awakening Conscience (1853). William Holman Hunt (1827‑1910). Oil on canvas. Tate
The Awakening Conscience (1853). William Holman Hunt (1827‑1910). Oil on canvas. Tate.As a gentleman and his mistress play and sing to Thomas Moore’s Oft in the Stilly Night, she has a sudden spiritual revelation. Rising from her lover’s lap, she gazes into the garden, which is reflected in the mirror. The mirror image represents the woman’s lost innocence, but redemption, indicated by the ray of light in the foreground, is still possible. Intended to be ‘read’, the painting is full of symbolic elements such as the cat toying with the broken-winged bird under the table that symbolises the woman’s plight. -- source link