Annie Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Annie Miller
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Miller, painted by Millais, 1854
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| Born | 1835 Chelsea, London, England
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| Died | 1925 (aged 89–90) Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England
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Annie Miller (1835–1925) was an English artist's model. She posed for famous artists like William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and John Everett Millais. These artists were part of a group called the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Annie Miller's life story has been shown in plays and films many times.
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Annie Miller's Early Life
Annie Miller was born in 1835 in a small house in Chelsea, England. Her father, Henry, was a soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Her mother worked as a cleaner. Annie also had a sister named Harriet.
When Annie's mother passed away at a young age, Annie and her family moved in with relatives. Her father then found work as a builder. Annie later worked as a barmaid, which is where she met the artist William Holman Hunt.
Annie Miller: A Pre-Raphaelite Model
Annie Miller became a well-known model for the Pre-Raphaelite artists. She was the subject of William Holman Hunt's painting The Awakening Conscience in 1853. Hunt had plans to marry Annie. Before he traveled to Palestine in 1854, he made sure she would get an education while he was away.
Hunt also gave Annie a list of other artists she could pose for. This list included John Everett Millais. However, while Hunt was gone, Annie also posed for other artists like George Price Boyce and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. For Rossetti, she appeared in famous paintings such as Dante's Dream and Helen of Troy.
Life After William Holman Hunt
William Holman Hunt came back from his travels in 1856. Annie's work with Rossetti caused some disagreements between Rossetti and Hunt. Even though Hunt proposed to Annie, their engagement ended in 1859.
After this, both George Price Boyce and Dante Gabriel Rossetti wanted Annie to pose for them. Rossetti often had her model for his works. Annie later found support from Viscount Ranelagh. Eventually, Ranelagh's cousin, Captain Thomas Thomson, fell in love with Annie.
Annie Miller and Captain Thomas Thomson got married on July 23, 1863, at St Pancras Church in London.
Annie Miller's Later Life
Annie Miller and Thomas Thomson had two children. Their daughter, Annie Helen, was born in 1866. Their son, Thomas James, was born in 1867.
Years later, William Holman Hunt met Annie again. He saw her looking happy with her family and learned that she was happily married. Annie's husband, Thomas Thomson, passed away in 1916 at the age of 87. Annie Miller lived for another six years after her husband's death. She died in 1925 when she was 90 years old. The family likely moved to Shoreham-by-Sea to be closer to a relative of Thomson's.
Annie Miller in Movies and Plays
Annie Miller's life has been shown in several movies and TV shows:
- In the 1967 film Dante's Inferno, she was played by Caroline Coon.
- Sheila White played her in The Love School (1975).
- Julie Cox was her voice in the radio plays The Golden Triangle (1998).
- In the 2009 TV series Desperate Romantics, she was played by Jennie Jacques.
