Edward Robert Hughes (1851-1914) painted one of the most popular pictures in Birmingham’s collection, Night with her Train of Stars. Much less well known is that for at least 17 years, from around 1888, Hughes was studio assistant to the veteran artist William Holman Hunt, one of the founder members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. When Hunt progressively lost his sight to glaucoma, Hughes worked with him to complete some of his most famous paintings and became more than just an assistant: Hunt privately called him his 'dear Right Hand'.

In this online lecture Victoria Osborne explores the lifelong friendship between these two artists: a story of hero-worship, secrecy and tabloid doorstepping.

Victoria Osborne is Curator (Fine Art) at Birmingham Museums Trust and curated the 2015 exhibition Enchanted Dreams: The Pre-Raphaelite Art of Edward Robert Hughes.

This lecture was recorded as part of Birmingham Museum Trust's Museums on Demand series in 2021.