Mount's first major oil painting, "Christ Raising the Daughter of Jairus" (1828), which depicts the moment described in the New Testament Book of Mark when Christ commands the young girl to arise from the dead and walk, created a sensation when it was exhibited at the National Academy of Design. The council could not believe an artist of his age and lack of formal training could produce such a profound work. Although the originality of the painting was questioned, the conception of the piece was entirely Mount's own.