The Horse’s Mouth (1958) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Jimson spots a blank wall in the Beeders' home during a visit and is suddenly inspired to paint The Raising of Lazarus. The Beeders are away for six weeks, giving him free access to their penthouse and the privacy he needs to complete the mural. This impulse-driven approach is typical of his eccentric artistic nature.

• gulley jimson
• beeders
• raising of lazarius
• mural
• painting

When the demolition crew arrives to tear down the church, Jimson makes a dramatic choice to destroy his own masterpiece rather than allow it to be completed or altered by others. He drives a bulldozer through the church wall to preserve the integrity of his vision, preferring to destroy it himself than see it finished in a way he cannot accept. This reflects his belief in artistic freedom over conventional success.

• the last judgment
• demolition
• church
• bulldozer
• artistic integrity

When Jimson spots Sara at the Tate exhibition, she hands him a roll tube thinking it contains one of his early paintings. However, when Jimson returns to the boat and opens it, Dee and Nosey discover the roll contains only toilet paper. Sara either deceived him or the painting was swapped, adding another comedic failure to Jimson's quest for his lost works.

• sara monday
• roll tube
• toilet paper
• tate gallery

Jimson needs money to fund his latest artistic venture, The Raising of Lazarus. When his artistic rival Abel arrives with a block of marble for a British Rail commission, Jimson agrees to help but instead pawns the Beeders' valuables to raise funds for his painting project. This reflects his reckless approach to funding his art, treating others' property as resources for his creative ambitions.

• pawn
• beeders
• valuables
• money
• abel
• marmite

Hickson, Jimson's former sponsor, dies during the story. Despite their rocky relationship, including Jimson's telephone harassment that led to his jail sentence, Hickson leaves Jimson's works to the nation with instructions for them to be displayed at the Tate Gallery. This posthumous recognition signals Jimson's rising fame and provides ironic validation of his artistic career.

• hickson
• tate gallery
• bequest
• nation
• artworks

Abel arrives at the Beeders' penthouse with a large block of marble for a British Rail sculpture commission. While helping Abel, the marble is dropped, tearing a hole in the floor and damaging both the home and Jimson's partially completed mural. When the Beeders return, they are shocked by both the painting and the gaping hole, and they tumble through it in their surprise.

• abel
• marble
• floor hole
• beeders penthouse

After discovering the roll from Sara only contained toilet paper, Jimson travels to Sara's house to reclaim one of his early works that she owns. During the confrontation, Sara is knocked unconscious when Jimson seizes the painting. This aggressive retrieval attempt shows Jimson's desperation to recover his lost artworks and his disregard for proper conduct.

• sara monday
• confrontation
• painting
• knockout

When Jimson, Nosey, and Dee recruit local youths to help complete The Last Judgment in the abandoned church, they also enlist Lady Beeder to participate. Despite Jimson having painted on her walls without permission and damaged her penthouse, she volunteers to help with the mural as demolition looms, showing her unexpected alignment with his artistic vision.

• lady beeder
• church mural
• the last judgment
• volunteers

When Nosey greets Jimson at his release from prison and expresses desire to become his protégé, Jimson warns him away from painting as a career. Jimson is wary of mentorship and the headaches of the art world, preferring to work alone. Despite this refusal, Nosey continues to shadow Jimson throughout the film, drawn to his artistic genius despite its chaos.

• nosey barbon
• protégé
• art career
• warning

After the confrontation at Sara's house, Jimson, Nosey, and Dee seek shelter in an abandoned church. Jimson sees a massive blank wall and feels inspired to tackle his greatest project yet, The Last Judgment. Learning the church is slated for demolition within a fortnight adds urgency, pushing him to complete the ambitious mural before it's destroyed.

• abandoned church
• the last judgment
• demolition
• blank wall

After destroying The Last Judgment with a bulldozer, Jimson returns to his boat and sails down the Thames. Nosey and Dee pursue him but fail to halt him. The ending is ambiguous, he disappears into the distance, leaving his grand vision to drift along the river. This reinforces the film's theme of artistic freedom over conventional success, with Jimson choosing to remain an untethered, controversial artist rather than settle into respectability.

• thames
• sailing
• boat
• ending
• freedom
• artistic integrity

Jimson is inspired by the blank wall in the Beeders' home and chooses to paint The Raising of Lazarus, a biblical scene depicting Jesus raising a man from the dead. The choice reflects Jimson's view of himself as a creator bringing artistic vision to life, and echoes his own situation as someone trying to revive his career after prison. The thematic resonance of resurrection suits his ambitions for a dramatic comeback.

• raising of lazarus
• biblical
• theme
• resurrection
• artistic vision