John Everett Millais facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Everett Millais
Bt PRA
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Self-portrait by Millais, 1881.
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| Born | 8 June 1829 Southampton, Hampshire, England
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| Died | 13 August 1896 (aged 67) Kensington, London, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | Royal Academy of Art |
| Known for | Painting, drawing, printmaking |
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Notable work
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Ophelia; Christ in the House of His Parents |
| Movement | Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood |
| Spouse(s) | |
Sir John Everett Millais (born June 8, 1829 – died August 13, 1896) was a famous English painter and illustrator. He was one of the people who started the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists. Millais was a child genius. When he was just eleven years old, he became the youngest student ever to join the Royal Academy Schools.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was created at his family home in London. Millais became the most well-known artist of this group. His painting Christ in the House of His Parents (1849–50) caused a lot of discussion. He also painted Ophelia (1851–52), which became a very famous example of the group's style.
Around the mid-1850s, Millais started to change his painting style. He moved away from the Pre-Raphaelite look and developed a new kind of realism. His later artworks were very popular. This made Millais one of the richest artists of his time. Some people, like William Morris, thought he had "sold out" because he became so popular. For example, one of his paintings was even used in a soap advertisement!
However, in recent years, people have started to appreciate his later works more. They see them as important parts of art history. Millais's personal life also played a big role in his fame. His wife, Effie, was previously married to an art critic named John Ruskin. Ruskin had supported Millais's early art. Effie's marriage to Ruskin was ended, and she later married Millais. She became a strong supporter of his work. They worked together to get painting jobs and meet important people.
Contents
Early Life and Talent
John Everett Millais was born in Southampton, England, in 1829. His family was well-known in Jersey, an island near England. He spent most of his early childhood there and loved Jersey very much.
His mother, Emily Mary Millais, had a strong personality. She loved art and music, and she really encouraged her son's artistic skills. She even moved the family to London so he could meet people at the Royal Academy of Art. Millais later said, "I owe everything to my mother."
His amazing talent helped him get into the Royal Academy Schools when he was only eleven. This was very unusual for someone so young. While there, he met William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. In September 1847, they formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood at his family home on Gower Street.
Pre-Raphaelite Artworks
Millais's painting Christ in the House of His Parents (1849–50) caused a lot of debate. This was because it showed the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) in a very realistic way. They looked like ordinary working-class people in a messy carpentry workshop.
Other early paintings by Millais were also discussed, but less so. He became very popular with A Huguenot (1851–52). This painting shows a young couple who are about to be separated because of religious disagreements. Millais used this idea in many of his later works. All these early paintings showed great attention to detail. They often focused on the beauty and complexity of nature.
In paintings like Ophelia (1851–52), Millais created detailed and rich surfaces. He carefully put together many natural elements. This style was supported by the art critic John Ruskin. Ruskin had defended the Pre-Raphaelites when people criticized them. Millais's friendship with Ruskin led him to meet Ruskin's wife, Effie.
Soon after they met, Effie posed for Millais's painting The Order of Release. As Millais painted Effie, they fell in love. Effie's marriage to Ruskin was later ended.
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Mariana, 1851
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The Order of Release (1852–53) Tate Britain, London
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Ophelia (1851–52) Tate Britain, London
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The Return of the Dove to the Ark (1851)
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Millais's Family
In 1855, after her marriage to Ruskin was ended, Effie and John Millais got married. They had eight children together. Their youngest son, John Guille Millais, became a naturalist and wildlife artist. He also wrote a book about his father after he died. Their daughter Alice (1862–1936) became a close friend of the composer Edward Elgar. She is thought to have inspired some of his music.
Later Artworks and Style Changes
After he got married, Millais started to paint in a different, broader style. Some critics, like Ruskin, did not like this change. It is thought that Millais changed his style because he needed to paint more to support his growing family. Some people accused him of "selling out" to become popular and rich.
However, his supporters pointed out that he was influenced by other artists like James McNeill Whistler. Millais himself said that as he became more confident, he could paint with more boldness. He suggested that artists should look at the works of Velázquez and Rembrandt as examples.
Many of his later paintings, from the 1870s onwards, showed his respect for older master painters. Many of these paintings had historical themes. Important examples include The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower (1878), The Northwest Passage (1874), and The Boyhood of Raleigh (1871). These paintings show Millais's interest in British history.
Millais also became very popular for his paintings of children. Two famous ones are Bubbles (1886) and Cherry Ripe. Bubbles became very well-known because it was used in advertisements for Pears soap.
Landscapes
Millais painted many landscapes during this period, usually showing difficult or wild places. The first of these, Chill October (1870), was painted in Perth, near his wife's family home. Chill October was the first of many large Scottish landscapes Millais painted throughout his later career. These paintings often showed autumn or early winter scenes. They often looked bleak and moody, showing bogs, moors, lochs, and riversides.
Millais did not go back to painting every single blade of grass like he did in his early works. However, his later, freer style still showed great skill in observing nature. Many of these landscapes were painted in Perthshire, where Millais would rent large houses each autumn to hunt and fish.
Illustrations
Millais was also a very successful book illustrator. He created drawings for the books of Anthony Trollope and the poems of Tennyson. His detailed illustrations for the parables of Jesus were published in 1864. He also drew pictures for magazines like Good Words.
Academic Career and Special Honours
Millais became an associate member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1853. Ten years later, in 1863, he became a full member. He was a very important and active part of the Academy.
In July 1885, Queen Victoria gave him a special honour. She made him a baronet. This meant he became "Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet." He was the first artist ever to receive such a high, inherited title.
Last Years and Death
After the death of Lord Leighton in 1896, Millais was chosen to be the President of the Royal Academy. Sadly, he died later that same year from throat cancer. He was buried in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Legacy
When Millais died in 1896, the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII) led a group to create a statue of the artist. The statue, made by Thomas Brock, was placed in front of the National Gallery of British Art (now called Tate Britain) in 1905.
Millais's life, especially his relationship with Ruskin and Effie, has been the subject of several movies and plays. For example, the 2014 film Effie Gray was written by Emma Thompson and featured Tom Sturridge as Millais. The Pre-Raphaelites have also been featured in two BBC TV shows.
Gallery
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A Huguenot on St Bartholomew's Day (1851–52)
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Mrs Coventry Patmore (Emily Augusta Patmore) (1851) Fitzwilliam Museum
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The Rescue, (1855)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne -
The Vale of Rest (1858) Tate Britain, London
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The Black Brunswicker (1860)
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Esther (1865) Private Collection
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Vanessa (1868)
Liverpool Museums Service -
Chill October (1870), private collection
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A Flood (1870),
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The Martyr of Solway (circa 1871), Walker Art Gallery
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An Idyll of 1745. The three female artists models on the right were the sisters Lily Pettigrew [1870-1920]; Hetty Pettigrew [1867-1953] and Rose Pettigrew [1872-1905]
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Portrait of Effie Millais (1873), Perth Museum and Art Gallery
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The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower (1878)
Picture Gallery of Royal Holloway College -
The Grey Lady (1888)
Private Collection
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See also
In Spanish: John Everett Millais para niños
