Timothy Hyman RA, Mid River: The Bearer, 1995-8.
1530 mm x 1220 mm. © Timothy Hyman RA. © Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London.
This image is not available to download. To licence this image for commercial purposes, contact our Picture Library at picturelibrary@royalacademy.org.uk
Mid River: The Bearer, 1995-8
Timothy Hyman RA (1946 - 2024)
RA Collection: Art
This is a complex allegorical painting which draws on many influences. It is a retelling of the story of Saint Christopher carrying the infant Christ across a river. There are, however, several layers of meaning.
The central figure represents the artist, but is in fact a portrait of the philosopher and novelist John Cowper Powys (1872-1963) who Hyman feels 'shaped' him. The child on his shoulder is an angelic' presence helping the artist through a difficult period of his life.
The river through which the artist strides is the Thames, with Tower Bridge visible in the distance, but the scattered figures suffering various indignities beneath his feet are reminiscent of tormented souls in a painting by Pieter Bruegel.
Object details
1530 mm x 1220 mm
Start exploring the RA Collection
- Explore art works, paint-smeared palettes, scribbled letters and more...
- Artists and architects have run the RA for 250 years.
Our Collection is a record of them.
Related articles
-
![James Ensor, Self-portrait with Flowered Hat (detail)]()
RA Exhibitions
< 8 years ago
Dreams, demons and seismic doodling: Timothy Hyman RA on James Ensor
In this extract from his new book, Timothy Hyman explores how the visionary Belgian painter remade figurative painting in his own macabre manner.
-
![RA cast display installation]()
Our Collection
6 months ago
Video: Historic casts are re-installed at the RA Schools
After years in storage, watch as our cast collection is re-installed around the RA Schools.
-
![Richard Cosway RA, Richard and Maria Cosway, and Ottobah Cugoano (detail)]()
Our Collection
1 year ago
Untold Stories
Recent research reveals how the Royal Academy’s founding artists worked amidst Britain’s imperial expansion in the 18th century, the transatlantic slave trade, and a growing abolitionist movement.
-
![Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA,, Self-portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds, PRA]()
Our Collection
> 1 year ago
Creative inspiration today from the first President of the Royal Academy
The RA’s founding President Joshua Reynolds may have shaken up the art world when he delivered his ‘Discourses’ lectures, but are they still relevant now? We take a closer look at what artists and art-lovers can learn from the series today.
