Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896) stands as a towering figure in Victorian art, renowned as a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and celebrated for his remarkable artistic journey from a child prodigy to the President of the Royal Academy. Born into a wealthy Jersey family in Southampton, Millais demonstrated exceptional talent from a young age, rapidly establishing himself as a leading artist in Britain. His career spanned various styles and subjects, leaving an indelible mark on the art world.
Millais’s prodigious talent was evident early on. By 1838, at just nine years old, he was enrolled at Sass’s Art School in London, quickly earning accolades, including a silver medal from the Society of Arts. His exceptional skills led to an unprecedented early admission to the Royal Academy Schools in 1840, becoming their youngest student ever. His academic success continued, securing silver and gold medals for drawing and painting in 1843 and 1847 respectively, culminating in his first Royal Academy exhibition in 1846 with Pizarro Seizing the Inca of Peru.
At the Royal Academy, John Everett Millais forged a crucial friendship with William Holman Hunt. This camaraderie, alongside Dante Gabriel Rossetti, led to the formation of the groundbreaking Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848. This movement sought to reject the academic art of the time, drawing inspiration from Italian art before Raphael. Millais’s Isabella, exhibited in 1849, is considered his first Pre-Raphaelite work, showcasing the vibrant colors, meticulous detail, and narrative focus characteristic of the brotherhood. However, his subsequent Pre-Raphaelite painting, Christ in the House of His Parents (1849-50), also known as The Carpenter’s Shop, sparked controversy and negative criticism for its unconventional and realistic depiction of biblical figures.
A significant personal event reshaped John Everett Millais’s life and art. In 1855, he married Effie Chalmers, the former wife of art critic John Ruskin. Millais’s relationship with Effie blossomed while he was on a trip to Scotland with the Ruskins. Following their marriage, they settled in Perth, where Millais painted Autumn Leaves, a work that exemplifies his evolving style and interest in capturing natural beauty and sentiment.
From 1855 to 1864, John Everett Millais broadened his artistic output to include illustrations for various publications. His work graced editions of Tennyson’s poems, the popular magazine Once a Week, and novels by Anthony Trollope, demonstrating his versatility and growing public recognition. Returning to London in 1861, Millais achieved widespread popular acclaim, particularly for his paintings featuring children and beautiful women. Bubbles, painted in 1886 and famously used in a Pears soap advertisement, became one of his most recognizable and commercially successful works. Paintings like Stella further cemented his reputation for portraying captivating female figures. Simultaneously, Millais established a successful and sought-after portrait practice from the early 1870s onwards. His notable portrait sitters included prominent figures such as Thomas Carlyle, Lillie Langtry, Prime Ministers Gladstone and Disraeli, and the poet Tennyson, capturing the likenesses of Victorian Britain’s elite.
John Everett Millais received consistent recognition from the Royal Academy throughout his career. He was elected an Associate in 1853 and a full Royal Academician in 1863. His contributions to British art were further honored with a baronetcy in 1885. In 1896, he reached the pinnacle of his profession, being elected President of the Royal Academy. However, his presidency was tragically short-lived as he passed away in London later that year. Sir John Everett Millais is buried in St Paul’s Cathedral, a testament to his national importance and lasting legacy as a leading figure in Victorian art and a pivotal member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Further reading:
- John Guille Millais, The Life and Letters of Sir John Everett Millais, 2 volumes, London 1899
- Leslie Parris (ed.), The Pre-Raphaelites, exhibition catalogue, Tate Gallery, London 1984, reprinted 1994
Terry Riggs January 1998
