In an early visit to his relations [in Ewell] in 1847, Holman Hunt painted the old church, of which only the tower now stands. The vicar, Sir George Glyn, offered to buy the picture if it was done well. The figures were added later. The architectural details are accurately recorded, and Hunt may have known that the building was threatened - it was to be demolished a year later. He did allow himself a little artistic licence with his signature, which can be found on the third gravestone from the right in the foreground. After its purchase by Sir George Glyn, the painting went missing but many years later was found in an old building in time to be shown at the Tate Gallery in their Pre-Raphaelite exhibition of 1984. [from Pre-Raphaelites, based on an account by Jeremy Harte, Curator of Bourne Hall Museum]
