A prodigiously talented artist, Sir John Everett Millais (1829–96) co-founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood with Rossetti and others, helping to revolutionise the Victorian art world. The minute realism of paintings like Christ in the House of his Parents, and his high-profile marriage to Ruskin's ex-wife Effie, were gradually accepted, and the iconic Ophelia was widely admired. Success as an illustrator also put him in the public eye, with the engravings market bringing him new wealth. With popularity came a return to more traditional forms in portraiture and landscape, inspired by Reynolds, Velázquez and the Old Masters, although he also played off Whistler and the aesthetic movement. He became president of the Royal Academy in the last year of his life. His son, John Guille Millais (1865–1931), published this highly illustrated and acclaimed two-volume biography in 1899. Volume 1 provides an account of Millais' most influential years up to 1867.
Their occasion was myself, then just i8 45 ] AS AN ACADEMY STUDENT 25 upon fifteen years old, who it was my mother's pleasure should wear on the shoulders of his short jacket a white falling collar some four inches wide.It so happened that Millais' mother had a similar fancy, and that being younger and much smaller than I his collar had a goffered edging, which, with his boyish features, light, long, and curling hair, made him appear even younger than he was.Upon the cries ceasing, there arose from the semicircle of students a lightly and elegantly-made youngster wearing such a collar as I have described, a jacket gathered at the waist with a cloth belt, and its clasp in front.With an assured air he crossed the room to where I was standing among the arrivals.He walked round me, inspected me from head to foot, turned on his heel without a word, stepped back to his seat, and went on with his drawing.It so happened that the everdiligent Millais, though much further advanced in the Academy, and a student in the Life and Painting, condescended from time to time to work among the tyros from the Antique, such as I was.At that time he was exceedingly like the portrait which was painted of him about the date in question, by (I think) Sir E. Landseer;* but there was more ' devil ' and less sentiment in the expression of his features. After being inspected, I settled to my work, and forgot all about that ordeal till I found Millais, who was then not more than five feet two inches tall, standing at my side, and, with an air of infinite superiority, looking at my drawing, which he greeted in an undertone as ' Not at all bad.' With such humility as became me I asked his advice about it, * " I may say of Mr. Jones that he was chiefly known as a painter of military pictures, and in dress and person he so much resembled the great Duke of Wellington that, to his extreme delight, he was often mistaken for that hero, and saluted accordingly.On this coming to the ears of the Duke, he said, 'Dear me ! Mistaken for me, is he? That's strange, for no one ever mistakes me for Mr. Jones.' " My Autobiography and Reminiscences, by W. P. FRITH, R.A. * This letter, illustrated with little water-colours, was exhibited in the Millais Exhibition, 1898. * An excellent copy of this work, now in the possession of Mr. Standen, was made in 1850 by William Millais. Millais also painted Mrs. Wyatt and her child, and (in 1877) Mr. James Wyatt. 3 3 HH^ i8 52] PRE-RAPHAELITISM 49 the picture in the Millais Exhibition of 1898 he could not distinguish the parts he had painted. ' the word ' Brotherhood.' ' i. 4 * Mr. Holman Hunt says his "influence" is purely imaginary. Millais had the "enthusiasm" for designs in pen-and-ink, and liked to see what others did. Some of the drawings were in colour. He adds, " I don't think we ever had any meeting, and after about four peregrinations we (Millais, Hunt, and Rossetti) seceded, because the contributions were so poor and the portfolio never arrived." t This, I think, is a mistake, as Rossetti did not go to Chatham...
No abstract
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.