John Millais entered Sass' Academy when he was nine and the schools
of the Royal Academy when he was only eleven years old. He first
exhibited there when he was sixteen. In 1848 he was one of the
founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In 1850 Charles
Dickens wrote in his Household Words how horrible he considered
Millais' "Christ in the House of his Parents" to be. He was
defended against his many critics by John Ruskin, whose former
wife Effie Gray he married in 1855. Ruskin continued to praise
his work until he observed that Millais had begun to paint in
a more conventional way.
In 1863 Millais was appointed
a member of the Royal Academy. He painted many portraits for
the rich and the famous and became immensely famous himself.
In the year of his death he became the eight President of the
Royal Academy. When he died he was celebrated because of his
'Englishness' as well as criticized for 'selling out'.
Work:
"Ophelia" (with Lizzy Siddal as the model, 1852, The Tate
Gallery, London);
"Portrait of John Ruskin" (1854).
Related persons
• was a friend of Collins, Charles Allston
• painted Collins, Wilkie
• used as a model Dickens, Kate Macready
• painted Dickens, Kate Macready
• was a friend of Hunt, William Holman
• is grandparent of Millais, John Everett, 3rd Baronet
• painted Ruskin, John
• used as a model Siddal, Elizabeth
• painted Trelawny, Edward John
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Events
1852/1/0: Wilkie Collin's "Mr. Wray's Cash Box" is published
It had a cover illustration by John Millais.
1877/5/1: Opening of Grosvenor Gallery, London
It was located at 135-137 New Bond Street and it was founded by Sir Coutts Lindsay, who wanted to exhibit paintings that weren't fit for the nearby located Royal Academy. Burne-Jones, Whistler, Watts, Legros, Moore, Hubert von Herkomer, James Tissot, Millais and Holman Hunt were among those who exhibited. Rossetti refused to cooperate because work by members of the Royal Academy was also exhibited.
1897/5/29: John Pender's paintings are sold for 75,917 pounds
Among them were works by Turner, Wilkie and Millais.
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Sources
• Culbertson, Judi & Tom Randall, Permanent Londoners, Robson Books, London, 1991
• Whelchel, Harriet (ed.), John Ruskin and the Victorian Eye, Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1993
• Finnel, Peter (ed.) et al, Millais: Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, London, 1999
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