John Wycliffe reading his translation of the Bible to John of Gaunt

Ford Madox Brown began this ambitious history painting in 1847 and worked on it intermittently until 1861. The scene depicts John Wycliffe, the first scholar to translate the Bible into Middle English, reading from his translation to John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Wycliffe completed his translation by the time of his death in 1384, and Gaunt, a son of King Edward III, was a powerful statesman who provided protection for Wycliffe's controversial work.

The painting shows Wycliffe standing with intense expression, engaged in passionate oration, while Gaunt listens thoughtfully with his hand on his chin. Brown probably modeled the figure of Gaunt from a portrait painted by Edward Hoby around 1593, two centuries after the Duke's death. The large canvas measures 153 by 119.5 centimeters and reflects Brown's interest in historical and moral subjects.

Though closely associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Brown was never formally a member. He served as teacher and mentor to Dante Gabriel Rossetti and pursued his own independent style. The work held at Bradford Museums and Galleries in England.