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diff --git a/old/69227-0.txt b/old/69227-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9a5b61e..0000000 --- a/old/69227-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1830 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Sir John Everett Millais, by A. L. -Baldry - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Sir John Everett Millais - -Author: A. L. Baldry - -Release Date: October 24, 2022 [eBook #69227] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIR JOHN EVERETT -MILLAIS *** - - - - - - - -[Illustration: A YEOMAN OF THE GUARD.] - - - - Bell's Miniature Series of Painters - - - SIR JOHN EVERETT - MILLAIS - - - BY A. L. BALDRY - - - - LONDON - GEORGE BELL & SONS - 1908 - - - - - First Published, December, 1902. - Reprinted, December, 1907. - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - Life of the Artist - The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - Later Developments - Last Years - - The Art of Millais - - Our Illustrations - - The Chief Works of Millais in Public Galleries, etc. - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -A Yeoman of the Guard ... _Frontispiece_ - -Christ in the House of His Parents - -A Souvenir of Velazquez - -The Vale of Rest - -Ophelia - -Autumn Leaves - -The North-West Passage - -Thomas Carlyle - - - - -SIR JOHN MILLAIS - - - -HIS LIFE - -Although John Everett Millais was born, on June 8, 1829, at Portland -Place, Southampton, his father was an inhabitant of Jersey, and a -member of a family which had been settled in that island from a date -anterior to the Norman conquest. The first five years of the child's -life were spent in Jersey, but in 1835 he was taken by his parents to -Dinan, in Brittany, where he began, by his sketches of the scenery of -the place and the types of the people, to give the first convincing -proofs of the remarkable artistic capacity that was in him. These -early efforts were so surprising, and attracted so much attention -outside his family circle, that when he was not more than nine years -old he was brought to London for an expert opinion on his chances in -the profession for which he seemed predestined. The President of the -Royal Academy, Sir Martin Archer Shee, was consulted, and his -encouraging declaration, that "Nature had provided for the boy's -success," decided the future of the young artist, who was at once -allowed to begin serious study. - -In 1838 he entered the drawing-school in Bloomsbury which was carried -on by Henry Sass, and regarded as the best available place for the -training of budding genius. In the same year he took the silver -medal of the Society of Arts, for a drawing from the antique, and -caused quite a sensation when he appeared, at the distribution of the -prizes, to receive his award from the Duke of Sussex, who was -presiding. The surprise of the spectators is said to have been -unbounded when "Mr. Millais" came forward, a small child in a -pinafore, to answer to his name, and even the officials at first -found it hard to believe that he could be really the winner of the -medal. - -For two years he remained under the tuition of Mr. Sass, and, helped -by his teaching and by a good deal of work from the casts in the -British Museum, the boy developed so rapidly that when he was only -eleven years old he gained admission to the Royal Academy Schools, -the youngest student, it is said, that has ever been received into -them. His career there was a series of successes. For six years he -laboured indefatigably, and plainly proved his ability by taking -prize after prize, beginning with a silver medal in 1843, and ending, -in 1847, with the gold medal for a historical picture, _The Tribe of -Benjamin seizing the Daughters of Shiloh_. - -Subjects of this type seem at that time to have attracted him -strongly, and to have occupied a great deal of his attention, for in -1846 he had painted, and exhibited at the Academy, _Pizarro seizing -the Inca of Peru_, which is now in the South Kensington Museum, and -in the following year another study of violent action, _Elgiva seized -by Order of Archbishop Odo_. To 1847 also belongs the great design, -_The Widow bestowing her Mite_, for the Westminster Hall competition, -a canvas fourteen feet long by ten feet high, covered with life-size -figures. Such an effort speaks well for the energy and ambition of a -lad of eighteen, who could within the space of a few months carry out -so vast an undertaking in addition to the _Elgiva_, and his gold -medal picture. - -So far his progress had been, from the point of view of his elder -contemporaries, very promising and satisfactory. He had proved -himself to be possessed of unusual gifts; and apparently historical -art was to have in him an exponent of rather a rare type, a painter -who would carry on its traditions with some degree of vitality. But -really he had only been feeling his way, and, not having had time as -yet to analyse his inclinations, he had temporarily accepted, with -youthful imitativeness, the precepts of his teachers and -fellow-students. It did not take him long to discover that he was on -the wrong track, and to decide that there was in another direction a -far better opportunity for the assertion of his own independent -convictions. - -About the middle of the year 1848, he, and his friends Rossetti and -Holman Hunt, inspired partly by the example of Ford Madox Brown, and -partly by their own study of the works of the Italian Primitives who, -before the time of Raphael, had laboured with devout and simple -naturalism, decided that the principles which guided the early -masters were being deliberately ignored by the modern men. So these -three youths agreed among themselves to break away from most of the -regulations by which they had been bound in their student days and to -formulate a new art creed of their own. From this agreement sprang -into existence an association, that, despite the small number of its -members, and the shortness of its life, has left upon the history of -the British School a mark clear and ineffaceable. - - - -THE PRE-RAPHAELITE BROTHERHOOD - -The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, as this association was called by way -of declaring the intentions and ambitions of the men who belonged to -it, was formally constituted during the autumn of 1848. It included, -in addition to the three originators, two other painters, James -Collinson and F. G. Stephens; a sculptor, Thomas Woolner; and a -writer, William Michael Rossetti, who acted as secretary of the -Brotherhood. Ford Madox Brown never became a member, although he -entirely sympathised with the artistic aims of the group, for he had, -it is said, doubts concerning the utility of such a banding together, -and was more inclined to favour independent action; but several other -young painters, who were never formally of the company, gave it -practical support, and openly adopted its methods. Indeed, the list -of these outside sympathisers soon became a long one; it included -such able workers as William Bell Scott, Arthur Hughes, Thomas -Seddon, W. L. Windus, and W. H. Deverell, who were directly inspired -by the beliefs of the Brotherhood, and if, as would be quite -legitimate, it were extended to take in all the others whose first -essays in art were controlled by Pre-Raphaelite principles, an -astonishing number of artists who have reached high rank in their -profession could be added to it. - -[Illustration: CHRIST IN THE HOUSE OF HIS PARENTS.] - -At first the inner significance of the Pre-Raphaelite movement was -lost upon the general public. When, in 1849, Millais exhibited at -the Academy his _Lorenzo and Isabella_, by which his adoption of the -new creed was plainly enough asserted, the picture was not unkindly -received. It was ridiculed, perhaps, by the people who realised that -it showed an artistic intention somewhat unlike that which was then -generally prevalent; but its novelty of manner was put down to the -youth and inexperience of the artist, and was regarded as a minor -defect that a few more years of practice would remedy. - -But in January, 1850, the Brotherhood took a step that very -effectually removed any doubts that were felt by the public about the -meaning of such canvases. They began to issue a monthly magazine, -called "The Germ," in which they and their friends stated with -sufficient frankness what Pre-Raphaelitism really meant, and what -were the opinions that they professed. As a commercial speculation -the magazine must be reckoned a failure, for after the fourth number -it ceased to be issued, and at no time had it any general -circulation. It served its purpose, however, of making quite -intelligible the creed of its promoters; and it gave to the world -certain etchings of Holman Hunt, Collinson, Madox Brown, and -Deverell, and much literary matter by Coventry Patmore, Woolner, W. -B. Scott, F. G. stephens, the two Rossettis and their sister -Christina, and some other writers. An etching was prepared by -Millais for the fifth number, an illustration of a story that Dante -Rossetti was to write; but this fifth number did not appear. - -Though "The Germ" died so quickly for want of support, it had fully -accomplished what was required of it in the way of propagandism. -When the next batch of Pre-Raphaelite efforts was exhibited in the -spring of 1850 there was no trace of hesitation or toleration in the -comments of the older artists and the press. A perfect storm of -abuse broke out. Against _Ferdinand lured by Ariel_ and _Christ in -the House of His Parents_, which were the chief pictures sent by -Millais to the Academy, the bitterest attack was directed. -Everything that could be said or done to minimise their influence, -and to discredit the motives by which they were inspired, was -lavished upon them without restraint, in a kind of frenzy of -anguished excitement. - -All this, however, was mild in comparison with the agitation in the -following year, when it was seen that the Pre-Raphaelites, instead of -bowing to the storm and recanting their opinions, were prepared to go -to even greater lengths in the avowal of their convictions. The -opposition had done its best to howl them down, and to frighten them -by ferocious threats; but all this expenditure of misapplied energy -had had no result. Millais exhibited _The Woodman's Daughter_, _The -Return of the Dove to the Ark_, and _Mariana in the Moated Grange_, -and Holman Hunt _Valentine and Sylvia_; while the other members of -the group gave equally definite proofs of their intention to -persevere in the course they had adopted. - -Alarm at this defiance, and perhaps an uneasy consciousness of the -real strength of a movement that gave so little sign of yielding to -pressure, drove the supporters of the existing condition of affairs -to almost incredible lengths. They demanded that these canvases -should be removed from the exhibition of the Academy, summarily -expelled as outrages on good taste; they urged the students in the -art schools to shun the Brotherhood and everyone connected with it; -they descended to the lowest depths of misrepresentation, and drew -the line at nothing in the way of exaggeration. Calm and critical -judgment ceased, for the moment, to exist, and a hysterical absence -of balance threw into confusion even the best ordered and judicious -minds. - -This outburst had one immediate effect, an unpleasant one for the -young artists, it checked for a while the sale of their pictures. -_Christ in the House of His Parents_ had been painted on commission -for a well-known dealer, and it remained for many years on his hands; -but _Ferdinand lured by Ariel_, which had also been commissioned, was -refused by the intending purchaser. It was afterwards sold to Mr. -Richard Ellison, a collector of rare discrimination, who was -introduced to Millais by a mutual friend. Other canvases belonging -to the same period either returned from the exhibitions to the -artist's studio, or were parted with at low prices and on terms of -payment none too favourable. - -But after a little while things began to mend. The attack exhausted -itself by its very excess of virulence; and here and there strong men -came forward to champion the cause of the Pre-Raphaelites. Mr. -Ruskin, especially, appeared in the arena as an enthusiastic advocate -of an undertaking that was in every way calculated to appeal to his -vivid sympathies. He declared with acute and prophetic insight that -the pilloried artists were laying "the foundations of a school of art -nobler than the world has seen for three hundred years." His -explanations of their methods were just what were wanted to set -people thinking. Some years, it is true, elapsed before his -enthusiasm, and the dogged perseverance of the young men, finally -converted the great majority of art lovers; but the conversion did -come, and it was complete. - -Meanwhile Millais was manfully playing his part in the struggle, -giving no sign that he minded being, as he put it in after years, "so -dreadfully bullied." Nothing could shake his resolve to work out his -artistic destiny in the way he thought best. Happily he was not -entirely without encouragement from the chiefs of his own profession, -for just at the time when the outside world was decrying him most -strenuously, the Academy elected him an Associate. This election, -was, however, quashed, because he was discovered to be under the age -at which admission was possible, and it was not till 1853 that he was -again chosen. By this time he had added to the list of his paintings -his exquisite _Ophelia_, _The Huguenot_, _The Proscribed Royalist_ -and _The Order of Release_, all works of the highest value, and -regarded to-day as evidences of a quite extraordinary ability. - -For about ten years he remained faithful to the Pre-Raphaelite creed, -and made no serious attempt to modify his methods. During this -period appeared his _Portrait of Mr. Ruskin_, _The Rescue_, _Autumn -Leaves_, _The Blind Girl_, _Sir Isumbras at the Ford_, _The Vale of -Rest_, and _Apple Blossoms_, of which the last two are to be reckoned -as to some extent transitional, leading the way to the later changes -in both his theory and practice. What was to be the nature of these -changes was foreshadowed by _The Eve of St. Agnes_, shown at the -Academy in 1863, the year before his advancement to the rank of Royal -Academician. This was the beginning of a period during which he -wavered between recollections of his earlier style and an obvious -desire to find new ways of expressing himself. These variations in -his production implied that he was just then uncertain as to the -course which it would be best for him to follow. He recognised that -there were many details of his youthful creed which had served their -purpose and ought to be set aside. He was conscious of the -possibilities that his wonderful command over his materials opened up -to him, and he knew that his years of devoted study had given him an -equipment of knowledge that would serve him in any emergency; what he -was seeking was the exact form in which to cast his efforts so as to -allow full scope to his abilities and to make indisputable that wide -popularity which was coming to him at last. - - - -LATER DEVELOPMENTS - -There was no hesitation about the avowal of his new views when -finally he did make up his mind. With a suddenness that was -absolutely startling, he abandoned the close and careful realism that -marked in such canvases as _Asleep_, _Awake_, and _The Minuet_, the -still-continuing influence of his Pre-Raphaelite conviction, and -chose instead the riotous freedom of touch, and the happy readiness -of suggestion that make his _Souvenir of Velasquez_, _Rosalind and -Celia_, and _Stella_ so impressive. The dramatic point of this -change is that a year sufficed to bring it into active operation. In -1867 he was still anxious to work out bit by bit and part by part -every fact that his subject might present, and, in his zeal for -naturalism, to leave no chance of mistake about the exact meaning of -his treatment; in 1868 he had thrown himself heart and soul into the -task of persuading his admirers to accept hints in the place of plain -statements, and to understand subtle compromises with nature, instead -of direct transcriptions of her assertions. - -[Illustration: A SOUVENIR OF VELASQUEZ.] - -Thenceforward his progress was an almost unbroken series of -successes, gained by superb mastery of craftsmanship, and by the -splendid confidence in himself that put his intentions always beyond -the possibility of doubt. With few exceptions his pictures, to the -end of his life, were worthy to rank with the best that the British -school can show, great in accomplishment, admirable in style, and -attractive always by their frankness of manner and purity of motive. -In some ways he enlarged his borders, for in 1871 he made, with -_Chill October_, his first digression into landscape without figures, -and began that array of important studies of the open air which -reveal most instructively his limitless patience and searching power -of observation. - -As a portrait painter also he developed superlative gifts, adding -year by year to a collection of masterpieces unequalled by any of his -contemporaries. He was fortunate in his sitters, and the list of his -productions in this branch of art includes a large proportion of the -most beautiful women and distinguished men who have graced the latter -half of the century. He immortalised impartially leaders of fashion, -pretty children, noted politicians, and people eminent in many -professions; and in his rendering of these various types he missed -nothing of the individuality and distinctive character with which -each one was endowed. Here especially his Pre-Raphaelite training -stood him in good stead; for the habit of close analysis and careful -investigation had been so impressed upon him by the experiences of -his youth, that his instinctive judgment was now perfectly reliable, -and his ability to decide promptly and with certainty about the -aspects of his subject which were fittest for pictorial record had -become absolutely complete. - -In this succession of portraits some stand out commandingly as -notable performances even for an artist who was always -distinguished--for example, _Mrs. Bischoffsheim_ (1873), _Miss -Eveleen Tennant_ (1874), _Mrs. Jopling_ (1879), _Mrs. Perugini_ -(1880), _Sir Henry Irving_ (1884), _The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone_ -(1885), _J. C. Hook, R.A._ (1882), and _The Marquis of Salisbury_ -(1883)--marking great moments in his career; just as from time to -time figure compositions of rare importance, like _The North-West -Passage_ (1874), _Effie Deans_ (1877), _The Princes in the Tower_ -(1878), and _Speak! Speak!_ (1895), punctuated the progress of his -intellectual and imaginative evolution. He was always, to the last -day of his life, ambitious and eager to grapple with problems of -technical expression. Courage to face the supreme difficulties of -his profession never failed him. He had no idea of avoiding -responsibilities, or of finding in an easy convention a way to evade -his duty to art; and he tried consistently to bring his production up -to the high level that would satisfy his ideals. When he missed his -aim--and there is no such thing as unvarying success for any -artist--it was not for want of thought or sincere effort, but rather -from over-anxiety. He once said of himself, "I may honestly say that -I never consciously put an idle touch upon canvas, and that I have -always been earnest and hard-working; yet the worst pictures I ever -painted in my life are those into which I threw most trouble and -labour"; and in these few words he summed up his whole history. - - - -LAST YEARS - -It was characteristic of him that the honours which were heaped upon -him in his later years should have diminished neither the strength of -his work nor the charm of his personality. Affectation or -self-consciousness were the last things that were possible to such a -nature with its almost boyish energy and magnificent vitality. Yet -he had every reason to be proud of success that had come to him, not -by fortunate chance, but as a result of his own tenacity. He was -made an Officer of the Legion of Honour, and received the Medaille -d'Honneur at the Paris International Exhibition, in 1878; the degree -of D.C.L. was conferred upon him at Oxford in 1880, and at Durham in -1893; he was elected a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery in -1881, a Foreign Associate of the Académie des Beaux Arts in 1882, and -President of the Royal Academy in 1896; he was created a Baronet in -1885, and an Officer of the Order of Leopold in 1895; and was, -besides, an Officer of the Order of St. Maurice, and the Prussian -Order "Pour la Mérite," and a member of the Academies of Vienna, -Belgium, Antwerp, and of St. Luke, Rome, and San Fernando, Madrid. -He was one of the few Englishmen invited to contribute his portrait -to the great collection of pictures of artists painted by themselves -in the Uffizi Gallery at Florence. Such a record proves most -cogently the manner in which the public estimate of his capacity -changed as years went on; it is instructive to compare its unanimity -of recognition with the story of the time when art teachers were -urging their pupils to greet the name of Millais with hisses, and -were holding up his work, and that of his associates, to the -bitterest execration. - -The post of President of the Royal Academy he held for only six -months, for he succeeded Lord Leighton on February 20th, 1896, and -died on 13th of August in the same year. His election, however, -rounded off appropriately that long association with the Academy to -which he referred in his speech at the 1895 banquet, at which he -presided in the absence of Lord Leighton. "I must tell you briefly -my connection with this Academy. I entered the Antique School as a -probationer, when I was eleven years of age; then became a student in -the Life School; and I have risen from stage to stage until I reached -the position I now hold of Royal Academician: so that, man and boy, I -have been intimately connected with this Academy for more than half a -century. I have received here a free education as an artist--an -advantage any lad may enjoy who can pass a qualifying -examination--and I owe the Academy a debt of gratitude I never can -repay. I can, however, make this return--I can give it my love. I -love everything belonging to it; the casts I have drawn from as a -boy, the books I have consulted in our Library, the very benches I -have sat on." No other teaching institution had, indeed, had any -part in his education; no other art society had given him assistance -at a moment when the world was against him; and in no other direction -had such practical belief in the greatness of his future been -manifested. Truly, he owed a debt of gratitude to the Academy, and -he repaid it by being ever one of its most active supporters, and by -doing infinite credit to its best traditions. - -There was something peculiarly pathetic in the fact that his life -should have ended just when he had reached the position that must -have seemed to him, after his long and intimate connection with the -Academy, the most honourable to which he could aspire. To be the -head of the institution that he loved so well, and to be hailed as -chief in the place that had seen every stage of his development, from -childhood to ripe maturity, could not fail to be anything but -exquisitely gratifying to a man of his nature. But almost at the -moment of his election it appeared that there was little time left -him in which to enjoy the honour that had crowned his many years of -devotion to the great principles of art. The fatal disease that had -gripped him a little while before was not to be shaken off, and was -sapping rapidly and effectually even his superb vitality. He worked -on, however, almost to the end, hopeful even in the midst of -suffering, active in carrying out the duties of his office, and busy -as ever with the canvases that crowded his studio. He was fully -represented in the Academy Exhibition of 1896, by a group of -portraits, and by a picture, _A Forerunner_, which showed no sign of -failing strength or of any relaxation in his grasp of the essentials -of his craft. - -Then, with painful suddenness, came the verdict of his doctors, that -his case was hopeless. The throat trouble, that had been growing -month by month more acute and distressing, was pronounced to be -cancer and incurable. In June the disease had made such strides that -the end seemed to be imminent, but an operation gave him some relief, -and his life was prolonged till the middle of August, when at last -death released him from his agony. He passed away at the house in -Palace Gate, Kensington, which had been the scene of the many -triumphs of his later years, dying as he had lived, full of courage -and patience, fearing nothing, and meeting his fate with cheerful -resignation. On August 20th, he was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, -beside his old friend Lord Leighton, whom only a few months before he -had helped to lay to rest. - -His death not only left a gap in the ranks of art, but it also took -away, while he was yet in the full enjoyment of his powers, a man -whose sterling qualities had attracted a host of friends. His -frankness and honesty, his geniality and kindliness, and, above all, -his manly wholesomeness, without taint of modern decadence or -morbidity, endeared him to everyone with whom he came in contact. He -was typically English, in the best sense, with all the physical and -mental attributes that have enabled our race to dominate the world, a -lover of the country, a good shot, a keen fisherman, and a fearless -horseman. The very look of him, with his stalwart, well set-up -figure, and handsome, self-reliant face, conveyed the impression of -perfect health of mind and body, and declared the inexhaustible -vigour of his nature. - - - - -HIS ART - -With all his definiteness of opinion and sincere belief in the -accuracy of his own judgment, Millais was too keenly alive to the -varieties of nature, too earnest in his observation of the life about -him, to fall into the mechanical habit of repeating himself. He was -robust, modern and practical, a man whose instinct was active rather -than contemplative; and he might even be said to be wanting in -imagination, if by imagination is understood the capacity to evolve -things curious and unusual out of the inner consciousness. - -But if he lacked imagination in this sense, he more than made up for -the deficiency by the exquisite acuteness of his insight into natural -facts, and by the depth of his judgment about the essentials of art. -He made no mistakes through ignorance or want of proper preparation; -and he never failed because he grudged the preliminary thought needed -to carry to success a great undertaking. Indeed, the one thing that -he always preached was application, constant industry devoted to the -task of finding out how work should be done. Carelessness he -condemned; but he had no love for that type of performance which -shows the trouble that the producer has taken over it. He contended, -justly, that it was the duty of the artist to so master the executive -details of his profession that his work should impress the spectator -by its ready certainty rather than its conscientious toil. - -The need to strive for the quality of freshness in technical -expression was, however, very far from being the only thing he -insisted upon. He had, as well, a strong belief in the importance of -a definitely independent attitude with regard to choice of pictorial -motive, and selection of suitable material. But beyond this he -advocated special precautions against any narrowing of the artist's -practice by too close adherence to one kind of picture. He once put -this conviction into words of considerable significance. -"Individuality is not all that should be looked to; a varied manner -must be cultivated as well. I believe that however admirably he may -paint in a certain method, or however perfectly he may render a -certain class of subject, the artist should not be content to adhere -to a speciality of manner or method. A fine style is good, but it is -not everything--it is not absolutely necessary." - -Certainly Sir John carried out these principles in his own -production. He had many sides to his character as an artist, and -used his powers of observation with splendid freedom. His popularity -was gained not by the reiteration of any one set of ideas, but by -showing himself equally capable in many forms of painting. In his -figure pictures he was by turns dramatic, romantic, sternly -realistic, and at times sentimental in a robust way; in his portraits -he was incisive, direct, and accurate; in his landscapes precise, -exact, and searchingly correct in his rendering of what was before -him; and in his water-colours and drawings in black and white -delightfully facile and ingenious. He had no speciality, and no set -conviction that there was one particular thing he could do better -than anything else; so that he never restrained his love of variety -or bound himself by limitations based simply upon expediency. - -In any classification of his works, the first place must necessarily -be given to his figure paintings and portraits. Indeed, they make up -the bulk of his achievement, and represent the fullest growth of his -capacity. The history of his life is principally written in them. -The charm of his personality distinguishes them all--a charm as -evident in the simpler and more limited subjects as in those which -made great demands upon his powers of invention and contrivance. -There was never any suggestion that he did not honestly feel the -motive with which he was dealing, or that he was not perfectly -convinced that what he had chosen was worthy of record. If he -failed, it was because he had misapprehended the suitability of his -material, not because he had been trying to do something outside the -range of his belief. - -Curiously, perhaps, his honesty and directness were at the same time -the source of what was best in his pictures, and the cause of their -chief weaknesses. Had he not been so frank and wholesome-minded he -could never have arrived at that exquisite appreciation of the -daintiness of childhood to which he gave expression in a great many -of his most successful canvases, and could never have gained, as he -did, the hearts of all classes of art lovers. Only a worshipper of -children, with the most absolute sympathy with their ways and habits, -could have painted pictures as persuasive as _Cherry Ripe_, _A Waif_, -_Caller Herrin'_, _The Princess Elizabeth_, and that long series of -pretty studies of which _Perfect Bliss_, _Dropped from the Nest_, -_Forbidden Fruit_, and _Little Mrs. Gamp_ may be quoted as types. -Only a man with the happiest sense of delicate shades of character -could have commanded the extraordinary popularity that came to him as -a result of his production of pictures such as these. - -Yet it was to these very qualities that was due his occasional want -of success in dealing with stronger themes. His dramatic pictures -descended at times into an artlessness that was only redeemed from -feebleness by its obvious sincerity. They failed because he -concerned himself so much with matters of fact that he missed the -greater possibilities of the subjects he had selected, and because in -his desire to be real and convincing he forgot that there was a need -to appeal to the imagination of people who would not be satisfied -with plain statements. - -[Illustration: THE VALE OF REST.] - -On the other hand it is possible to select from among his subject -pictures several that prove him to have had brilliant moments when he -could reach the greater heights of pictorial invention. There are -quite half a dozen of his canvases which by their wonderful vitality, -their deep significance, and force of expression make good a claim to -the possession of the finest kind of mastery. _The Vale of Rest_, -_The North-West Passage_, _The Order of Release_, _The Ruling -Passion_, _The Boyhood of Raleigh_, and perhaps _Effie Deans_ show -that he could grasp with all possible firmness and state with -unflinching decision, motives that called for great mental exertion. -Their qualities are those that come from a minute insight not only -into details of character, but also into the principles which govern -the dramatic side of pictorial art. No false note spoils the harmony -of these compositions, no touch of uncertainty or divided opinion; -they are confident and assured, and their meaning is not to be -questioned. They express the thoughts of a man who, with all his -straightforwardness and simplicity, could now and then look beneath -the surface and work out problems far more profound than it was his -every-day habit to investigate. - -His romance, especially, had this merit of being well thought out. -It was never complicated by excess of details, and was strict in its -adherence to the main facts of the story, without irrelevant matter -introduced to complete picturesquely an imperfect conception. _The -Knight Errant_ is a very good example of his method of dealing with -an incident evolved from his own fancy; and _Victory, O Lord!_ is -equally characteristic as an instance of the power with which he -could seize upon the salient points of a subject suggested to him by -written history. Many of his finer paintings were illustrative -records of the impressions made upon him by things he had read, and -expressions of the instinct that brought him throughout his life such -success as a draughtsman in black and white; but they were only -occasionally direct illustrations of particular passages from books. -More often what he gave was his view of what might have happened, -rather than a plain reproduction in paint of what was already fixed -in words. - -He preferred to base himself more upon the spirit than the letter of -a story, to find a new reading for himself, and to treat it with a -considerable degree of independence. In _The Princes in the Tower_ -he followed none of the accepted versions, and in _Effie Deans_ he -made a subject out of the slightest possible suggestion in the text -of the romance; yet both pictures show that peculiar air of -conviction which results from a perfect understanding of what is -essential for the proper application of dramatic material. In these, -as in almost all his renderings of incident, appears his habit of -attacking not the climax of the story, but rather one of its earlier -stages, an intermediate moment when the action is still in progress -and the final result is suggested rather than clearly foreshadowed. -This habit was always strong upon him. It gave their particular -interest to such early works as _The Huguenot_, _The Black -Brunswicker_, _The Proscribed Royalist_, and _The Escape of a -Heretic_, just as much as it did to later pictures like _The Girlhood -of St. Theresa_, or _Speak! Speak!_; and by introducing a touch of -speculation into the record of his thoughts he enhanced the -fascination which was never wanting in his sturdy inventions. - -Indeed, there was in every branch of his figure-painting some -sufficient reason for his popularity, some distinct attractiveness of -mental quality to add convincingly to the impression created by his -superlative command over technicalities. He could be tender, dainty, -and refined in his studies of children; serious and solemn in his -symbolical compositions; pathetic, vigorous, and passionate by turns -in his subject-pictures; and through all ran a vein of sentiment that -was always wholesome, clean, and intelligible. He never affected to -be influenced by feelings that were not honestly natural to him, nor -did he pretend to represent anything that he did not believe in -sincerely and without question. What he painted was invariably what -he felt at the moment; and, whether it was a masterpiece or a -comparative failure it expressed simply the appeal that the subject -had made to him; and his response to this appeal was always -unconventional and definite. - -He trusted in the same way to a personal impression of his sitter -when he set himself to paint a portrait. What he wanted was to show -that he understood the individuality of the man or woman before him, -and that his understanding had helped him to make clear to others the -special idiosyncrasies that separated that man or woman from the -ordinary crowd. Portraiture to him was a matter of observation, of -receptiveness to suggestion, and acceptance of what was visible, -rather than an artistic process which enabled him to give free scope -to his inventive instincts. - -Perhaps he was less analytical and discriminating in his pictures of -women. They seemed to appeal to him less than men did as subjects -for psychological study. What he preferred to dwell upon were the -physical charms of femininity, beauty of face and form, elegance of -carriage, and that rounded fulness of development that argues perfect -healthiness of body and mind. The stateliness of the card-players in -_Hearts are Trumps_, the air of high breeding and conscious power -which distinguishes the portrait of the Duchess of Westminster, and -the more matronly splendour of _Mrs. Bischoffsheim_, mark the chief -variations in his manner of painting womankind; occasionally only did -he diverge into more detailed character, as in _Miss Eveleen -Tennant_, _Mrs. Jopling_, and _Mrs. Perugini_; but as a rule he was -content to treat the freshness and brilliant vitality of his feminine -sitters, and to leave untouched their possibilities of passion or -strong emotion. His men were full of vigorous aspirations, -restrained for the moment, yet near the surface and ready at any time -to break into activity; but his women were serene and unmoved, -prepared, perhaps, for conquest, but wrapped in a reserve that would -not allow them to make the first advances. - -That his preference for repose in representation did not lead the -artist into a dry convention, or into any disregard of the essential -points of difference between people, is very evident if a comparison -is made of his chief portraits. Beneath their reserve appears a -wonderful variety of manner, and a superb power of interpretation. -They are studied, exact, and intensely real. No perfunctory labour -is seen in them, and their value is diminished by no slurring over of -the little things which help to define the more intimate -characteristics of the modern man. - -The unquestionable popularity that Millais gained by his excursions -into landscape was equally due to the fact that he was a student of -nature, not an imaginative interpreter of what she presented. He -dealt with facts and left fancies almost entirely alone. In the -series of canvases that began with _Chill October_, and ended with -_Halcyon Weather_, there was infinite industry, marvellous accuracy, -perfect veracity of record, but little effort to be anything but -absolutely exact in his statement of what he saw. His amazing -patience and his surprising quickness of vision, enabled him to grasp -with easy confidence the plain truths of nature, and his command of -brushwork ensured a rare perfection in his pictorial expression of -the matter that he had selected for representation. Nothing was -implied or left in sketchy incompleteness, because his patience had -failed him before he had realised the complicated fulness of his -subject. He spared himself no toil to arrive at what seemed to him -to be the perfection of nature, and he was as minutely attentive, as -surely certain of himself, as he ever was in his figure work. - -As a necessary consequence, however, of this manner of working, he -never could be ranked among the inspired painters of the open air, -nor could he ever be said to have dealt exhaustively with the -problems presented by natural phenomena. He remained untouched by -the subtleties of atmospheric effect, by the varieties of momentary -illumination, or by the fleeting glories of aerial colour, which -provide the student of nature's devices with the chief incentive to -artistic effort. He was always too much concerned with the things at -his feet, with matter that he could dissect and investigate, to give -much thought to the broad and comprehensive scheme of which these -things formed part. Whatever he arrived at in the way of a record of -a natural effect was reached not so much by thorough understanding of -the effect as a whole, as by an amazingly acute interpretation of the -influence exercised by it upon the details upon which his eyes were -fixed. - -An excellent instance of this is afforded in _The Blind Girl_, where -he has given little enough attention to the grandeur of the passing -storm-clouds, and has concentrated the whole of his energies upon the -rendering, with supreme fidelity, of dripping weeds and a drenched -hillside lighted by the rays of the setting sun. As a record of -microscopic insight, the picture is superlatively successful; it -could hardly be more closely reasoned out; but, as a representation -of Nature in one of her most impressive moods, it is ineffectual and -unconvincing. So, too, his most popular landscape, _Chill October_, -falls short of greatness, because it is too plainly studied bit by -bit, and part by part, and built up precisely by the careful putting -in place of material collected for the pictorial purpose. It holds -together, not because it has one great dominating intention, but -because its construction is so ingenious, and its mechanism so -workmanlike, that no single detail can be criticised as out of -relation to the rest. It can hardly be called learned in design, nor -can it be said to have any conspicuous dignity of style; yet the -knowledge of form, the intimate observation of the growth of -riverside vegetation, and the appreciation of autumnal colouring, -which were turned to account by the artist in his treatment of the -subject, make the canvas prominent among the greatest nature studies -of modern times. - -No consideration of his influence and no review of his performance -would be complete without an appreciative reference to his services -to black and white. As a painter he has a secure place among the -chief modern masters of the world; but what he did for pictorial art -was paralleled, if not surpassed, by his assertion of the dignity and -importance of illustration as a form of occupation for even the -greatest of art workers. - -It has been well said that if Millais had never devoted himself to -the painting of oil pictures, but had given his life entirely to the -work of book illustration, his position would still have been -indisputable, and his magnificent ability would have been amply -demonstrated. There is, indeed, a great deal of truth in this -contention. Although the world would have been the poorer for the -loss of his masterly essays in brushwork, and of his wonderful -exercises in the arrangement of strong colour, it would have -possessed extremely significant evidence of the reality of his -artistic judgment, and of the adaptability of his inventive powers. -In his black and white work he showed frequently a side of his -capacity that appeared in his painting only on great occasions, a -sense of dramatic exigencies, a feeling for illustrative meanings, -far beyond what was suggested by the general run of his pictures. As -an interpreter of the fancies of other men he was exceptionally -intelligent, with a memorable grasp of the salient points of the -story and a remarkable facility in summarising essentials. He was -afraid of nothing in the way of a subject, and spared no labour to -make his drawings completely expressive. - -His love of black and white was indeed a genuine one. Illustration -was not to him, as it so often is with other men, a mere expedient, -resorted to because an unappreciative public refused to recognise the -merit and importance of his paintings, and abandoned gladly as soon -as he found he could make a sufficient income without it. On the -contrary, he welcomed the opportunities with which this branch of art -practice provided him, and regarded them as of the highest value. -For more than twenty years he was a prolific illustrator, constantly -busy with drawings that were reproduced in all kinds of books and -magazines; and even in his later life occasional examples appeared to -prove that his hand had not lost its cunning and that his interest in -this type of work was undiminished. - -How deeply he felt about this particular subject is, perhaps, best -proved by his constant advocacy, within and without the Academy, of -the claims of illustrative draughtsmen to official recognition. -Before the Royal Commission on the Academy he strenuously urged that -workers in black and white should be declared eligible for election -to membership of that institution as draughtsmen purely, instead of -being required to disguise themselves as picture painters before they -could hope for admission; and his pleading then expressed a -conviction which remained strong in him till his death. He spoke -with real authority on a matter that, both by inclination and -association, he was fully qualified to discuss. His experience of -illustrative drawing, and his acquaintance with the history of its -development, were both peculiarly intimate; and he knew exactly what -were the possibilities of influence possessed by the craft. - -About his technical methods there is comparatively little to be said. -He was not a worker who concerned himself very deeply over devices of -execution, or cared to codify his system of painting in accordance -with scientific principles. He drew well, and handled his materials -with the sureness and confidence that came from complete knowledge of -what he wanted to do. His chief desire, as has been already stated, -was to retain in pictures that had really cost him deep thought and -prolonged labour an aspect of spontaneity and freshness; to be direct -in statement and simple in expression. He had a well-founded belief -that the finest art was that in which the meaning of the artist was -to be realised with the least amount of seeking and with as little -inquiry as possible about his intentions. Consequently, he strove -all his life to master the intricacies of his craft, so that no -hesitation on his part might make his meaning vague or indefinite. - -Speed he always had. Even in the apparently laborious period of his -Pre-Raphaelite performance he could, and did, paint with amazing -facility--the head of Ferdinand in _Ferdinand lured by Ariel_, was, -for instance, completed in five hours--and as years went on his -certainty became even more indisputable. _Cherry Ripe_ was painted -in a week, _The Last Rose of Summer_ in not more than four days, and -for many of his portraits half a dozen sittings sufficed to give him -all that was necessary for the achievement of a masterpiece. His -quickness of apprehension and accuracy of vision helped him to a -prompt decision as to choice of material; and when his direction was -once fixed, his inexhaustible energy carried him easily through the -work of production. Nature had well equipped him for his profession, -and wisely he followed the lines she had laid down. - - - - -OUR ILLUSTRATIONS - -The works which have been reproduced as illustrations to this summary -of the career of one of the greatest artists whom the British school -has known have been selected with the intention of representing the -more important stages in his progress. It is comparatively easy to -divide his life into different periods, each one of which was marked -by some achievements of more than ordinary significance. Thus the -_Christ in the House of His Parents_ (1849), and _Ophelia_ (1852) -belong to the time when he was a devout believer in the creed of the -Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood; _Autumn Leaves_ (1856) and _The Vale of -Rest_ (1858) show the first beginnings of the change of conviction -which led him a few years later to an almost complete abandonment of -his earlier principles; _A Souvenir of Velasquez_ (1868) marks the -end of the transition from his youthful methods to the vigorous -freedom of his middle life; _The North-West Passage_ (1874) and _A -Yeoman of the Guard_ (1876), the triumphant attainment of absolute -mastery over all the details of his craft, and the _Thomas Carlyle_ -(1877), the commencement of that period of sober confidence in his -perfected skill which continued till his death in 1896. - -There is hardly one of these pictures which does not by its -superlative quality deserve a place among the great things that may -be said to have made our art history. They show Sir John Millais not -only as a splendid executant but also as a frank and sincere thinker -on art questions, who did not hesitate to modify his opinions as his -widening experience proved to him that a better way than the one -which he was following at the moment might be found to lead him to -the highest results. It is a fortunate circumstance that with one -exception the whole of this group of noble works can be counted as -public property. They have passed into galleries where they are -always accessible, and they are within the reach of every student who -wishes to profit by the great lessons they are able to teach. - - - -CHRIST IN THE HOUSE OF HIS PARENTS - -This is the earliest and in some respects the most ambitious of the -Pre-Raphaelite pictures. In it all the resources of Pre-Raphaelitism -are turned to good account, and the logic of the creed is asserted -with unquestioning faith. A verse in Zechariah, "And one shall say -unto him, 'What are these wounds in thine hands?' Then he shall -answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends,'" -provided the motive, and the love of exact and searching observation -which was from the first the governing principle of the artist's -practice, controlled every detail of the execution. - -As a religious painting, a representation of a Holy Family, this work -was by no means approved by the mid-century critics. One of the -writers of the period, who joined in the general outcry against the -picture, declared, with what seems now to have been quite unnecessary -emphasis, that it touched "the lowest depths of what is mean, odious, -repulsive, and repelling." It certainly shows no respect for any of -the traditions which were then popularly supposed to call for the -unquestioning support of every artist, for the spirit by which was -inspired such a composition, for instance, as Sir Charles Eastlake's -_Christ lamenting over Jerusalem_, a picture now in the Tate Gallery, -which explains very well the sort of feebleness that was in fashion -in the middle of the nineteenth century. - -Millais did not hesitate to put on one side all the namby-pamby -prettiness and elegant affectation which governed the production of -his contemporaries, and struck out for himself in a very different -direction. He laid the scene of his story in the house of Joseph, -and, to quote another critic, associated the characters of the sacred -story "with the meanest details of a carpenter's shop, with no -conceivable omission of misery, of dirt, and even of disease, all -finished with the same loathsome minuteness." The child Christ -stands before the carpenter's bench with the Virgin kneeling beside -him preparing to bind up with a piece of linen a wound in his hand, -at which Joseph leaning forward from the end of the bench is looking. -St. Anne in the background is picking up a pair of pincers, and -beside Joseph is John the Baptist coming towards the central group -with a bowl of water in his hands. An assistant on the other side of -the picture watches the incident gravely. - -The keynote of the whole composition is its earnest symbolism. Every -one of the lovingly laboured details explains something of the story, -the tools on the wall, the dove perched on the ladder, and the sheep, -typifying the faithful, and the wattled fence, an emblem of the -Church, which are seen through the doorway; while in the meadow -beyond is placed a well as a symbol of Truth. In its imaginative -qualities, the picture is not less masterly than in its technical -accuracy, and excites as much wonder by the depth of thought it -reveals as by its astonishing accomplishment. It is the most -original of all the artist's earlier works, marking definitely his -emancipation from the influences of his student days, and his -development in craftsmanship. - - - -OPHELIA - -The _Ophelia_ is neither in scale nor in imaginative invention as -impressive as the _Christ in the House of His Parents_, but it is, -without doubt, one of the pictures by which he will most surely be -remembered. It is an admirable example of his searching study of -natural details, close and elaborate in its realisation of every part -of the subject, and curiously true in its rendering of the subtle -tones of brilliant daylight. Only an observer endowed with -extraordinary keenness of vision, and with absolutely inexhaustible -patience could have interpreted so exactly all the complexities of -such a scene. In no part of the canvas is it possible to detect any -relaxation of his strenuous effort after completeness; nothing is -slurred over, and nothing which could add to the persuasiveness of -the work is omitted. - -[Illustration: OPHELIA.] - -The points which are particularly to be noticed are the amazing -accuracy of the drawing of every leaf and twig in the background, the -truth with which the floating draperies and the river weeds lying -beneath the surface of the water have been rendered, and the -brilliant vivacity of the colour, which, strong and insistent as it -is, entirely avoids garishness and rankness of quality. There is, -too, a delightful tenderness of sentiment which suits to perfection a -subject full of sympathetic suggestion. Not a trace of affectation -is to be perceived; the sincerity and good faith of the artist cannot -for an instant be doubted, and his understanding of the dramatic -meaning of the incident chosen is perfectly judicious. It would not -be easy to find a picture which marks more truly the difference -between the finish that comes from learned study, and the mere -surface elaboration by which an uninspired artist seeks to hide his -insufficiency of technical knowledge. The imitative painter is -satisfied if he can deceive the eye by tricks of handling, cunningly -managed, and cares little for the broad effect of his canvas as a -whole; but Millais, who was a man of genius, could never have -contented himself with the cheap popularity attainable by such -devices. He took a far larger view of his artistic responsibility, -and even in his most prolonged and assiduous labour he never forgot -that the part which every touch had to play in the general pictorial -scheme had to be considered. That he should never have lost the -unity of effect of _his Ophelia_, though he spent many weeks painting -the landscape setting of the figure, in a quiet corner on the Ewell -River, near Kingston, may be regarded as a convincing proof of his -rare fitness for dealing with some of the greater problems of open -air painting. - - - -AUTUMN LEAVES - -As an example of his use of poetic and tender sentiment this picture -is now rightly admired as the most fascinating of all the works which -he produced during his life. It is neither a great composition nor -an amazing illustration of minute patience in technical performance; -but it has a spontaneous charm of manner that puts it among the few -modern masterpieces. When it was first exhibited it was not properly -understood by the general public, but expert observers even then -appreciated its delicate symbolism, and saw in it qualities of the -noblest kind. Mr. Ruskin praised it with generous enthusiasm, and -not only ranked it as one of the monumental canvases of the world, -but declared that not even to Titian could be assigned a place higher -than that which Millais had reached by this triumphant achievement. - -[Illustration: AUTUMN LEAVES.] - -Judged as a piece of painting it is surprisingly free from all those -little artifices which a less thoughtful artist would have used to -increase the strength of his appeal to the attention of the public. -It is studiously quiet in manner and formal in composition, an -arrangement of severe lines and simple masses, which might easily -have been made blankly inexpressive if they had been managed with -less subtle perception of the deeper possibilities of the subject. -But this very reserve gives the picture much of its strangely -sympathetic beauty, and increases its hold upon the feelings of all -people who are not satisfied with the superficialities of pictorial -art. The attitudes of the figures, the expressions of the faces, the -bareness of the landscape against which the group of children is set, -and the solemn stillness of the autumn twilight which pervades the -whole composition are all of value in the carrying out of the -artist's intention. The lingering sadness of autumn is throughout -the idea which was in his mind, and the way in which this is -symbolised in every touch and every detail is well-nigh perfect. - -The picture is also remarkable because it is practically the first in -which Millais showed that masterly understanding of the character and -ways of children, which was so often and so delightfully displayed in -his later production. The young girls who are grouped round the fire -of faded leaves are painted with inimitable grace and tenderness. -Their unconscious naturalness is wholly charming, their unstudied -ease of gesture is extraordinarily well rendered; and there is in the -purity of the delicate little faces a suggestion of the innocence of -childhood which is exquisitely fresh and attractive. Yet no -impossible idealisation spoils the truth of the painting. They are -frankly children who play their parts in it, not little angels with -none of the instincts of human beings. - - - -THE VALE OF REST - -Although the public, after having become accustomed to the artist's -uncompromising Pre-Raphaelitism, must have been warned by the -symbolism of _Autumn Leaves_ of the coming change in his methods, the -appearance of his _Vale of Rest_ at the Academy in 1859 caused a very -definite sensation. People then found themselves called upon to -accept him as a didactic and imaginative moralist. He had, indeed, -entered upon his transition, and had moved far from the literalism of -_Christ in the House of His Parents_, and the obvious actuality of -_Ophelia_, towards the closely impending declaration of those -individual preferences which were to guide him in the work of the -latter half of his life. _The Vale of Rest_ is said to have been of -all his paintings the one that Millais estimated most highly; and it -is with justice reckoned among the most brilliant achievements which -mark great moments in his career. - -It is certainly the picture which combines most surely his power of -thought, and his capacity for stating forcibly and dramatically the -things which he imagined. There is in it a manly sincerity which -cannot be questioned, and there is besides a kind of solemn beauty -that comes from his instinctive avoidance of sensationalism and from -his naturally correct preference for simplicity of treatment. This -simplicity and sincerity of manner can always be found in his best -paintings, and when applied, as in _The Vale of Rest_, to the avowal -of a strong conviction must be regarded as accountable for the -extraordinary persuasiveness of his art. An artist of less -straightforward habit of mind would have sought to complicate his -statement by adding little things with the idea of stimulating the -curiosity of the observer; but Millais was content, when he had found -a subject inherently dignified and impressive, to leave it to tell -its own story and not to embroider it with trivial accessories. To -this reticence is due the monumental character of _The Vale of Rest_; -there is nothing in it to distract attention, and nothing which could -jar on the imagination, and so diminish the value of the lesson which -it is intended to teach. - -Perhaps the greatest triumph of all is the way in which the picture, -despite the sadness, the grimness almost, of the subject, escapes -morbidity. It would have been so easy to introduce into it a touch -of fantastic mysticism, or to spoil its mystery by asserting too -plainly the moral of the story, but the artist has been proof against -every temptation, and has gone through with the work in the way that -his wholesome instincts told him would be most correct. The dominant -note is one of peace, and the restfulness of the secluded convent -graveyard in which the last act of the drama of life is played -typifies truly the long sleep which comes at last to end the troubles -and strivings of humanity. None of the turmoil of the world intrudes -into this vale of rest, and even nature herself is in sympathy with -its gentle calm. - - - -SOUVENIR OF VELASQUEZ - -If the _Vale of Rest_ marks significantly the transition through -which Millais passed before he finally found the way that he followed -for the last thirty years of his life, the _Souvenir of Velasquez_ -shows decisively what was the nature of the change that came over his -art. Between 1859 and 1867 he seemed to have settled down into a -habit of careful and rather laborious manipulation and to have become -a confirmed lover of high finish and a scrupulous exponent of what -were almost unnecessary realities. But suddenly, in 1868, he threw -all this minute precision aside and avowed himself to be a robust -impressionist, glorying in his power to give by a few large and -summary touches a vivid suggestion of many facts, and eager to render -great effects rather than microscopically analysed and elaborately -assorted details. There was no mistaking this change and no -explaining it away. It meant that he had abandoned once and for ever -all that had remained to him of the restrictions of the -Pre-Raphaelite method and had begun to apply its principles in such a -way that he could aim henceforth at the highest flights of executive -expression. - -Among the many pictures which he produced at this period to prove how -completely the wish to rival the great executants of other schools -had possessed him, the _Souvenir of Velasquez_ stands out as the -cleverest in craftsmanship, and the most delightful in feeling. It -is not merely an amazingly direct piece of brushwork in which every -touch shows the hand of a master of technical contrivance, but as a -reflection of the spirit of childhood it deserves, as well, to be -spoken of as a veritable inspiration. The beauty of the face is very -remarkable, and there is a pretty stateliness in the pose of the -young sitter which accords perfectly with the old-world costume in -which she is represented. As the title implies, the general -arrangement and treatment of the picture were suggested by the -practice of the great Spanish master, but this _Souvenir_ is a great -deal more than a copy of the methods of another artist; it has in -full measure the personal qualities by which almost everything that -Millais touched was distinguished. - -[Illustration: THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.] - -That this performance was not a happy accident, one of those chance -successes which sometimes come to an artist as a result of a -fortunate combination of circumstances, was put beyond doubt by the -character of his contributions to the Academy exhibitions during the -next half dozen years. He fully maintained the high level of -executive performance at which he had arrived, and continued steadily -to widen the scope of his activity. There seemed to be no problem of -handling which he was unprepared to attack and no difficulty that he -feared as insurmountable. - - - -THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE - -In this work, painted in 1874, he displayed his strength in a large -and ambitious composition. As a subject picture it may fairly be -reckoned as the most complete assertion of his mature conviction that -he ever put before the public. Its motive was one calculated to -appeal vividly to his militant instincts, and was suited in every way -to his robust and energetic personality. The idea of indomitable -perseverance in the face of apparently overwhelming dangers, of -tenacious effort to triumphantly accomplish a great intention, was -quite in accordance with his natural sympathies; and the picture has -therefore an inner significance to which almost as much interest -attaches as to its outward aspect of unhesitating certainty. It is, -perhaps, a little unequal in execution, but parts of it are -magnificent, and especially the head of the old seaman, who sits at -the table and listens to the story of Arctic exploration that is -being read to him by the girl seated at his feet. The sitter for -this splendid study of rugged age was Mr. Trelawny, the friend of -Shelley and Byron. - -According to his usual custom Millais did little more than suggest in -the picture the story implied by the title. _The North-West Passage_ -is not an illustrative painting of adventures in the Arctic region, -but a piece of domestic genre on a large scale intended rather to -stimulate the imagination than to record something actually -accomplished. But to every thinking man it is wanting in nothing -that gives interest to a work of art. It teaches an admirable lesson -and points a moral well worth attention; and in its combination of -strenuousness and simple directness, it reflects exactly the nature -of one of the frankest and least self-conscious of men. The canvas -is a tribute to the many great personalities whose lives have been -devoted to the making of our national history, and, rightly -understood, it is an eloquent appeal to us all to follow worthily in -their footsteps. - - - -A YEOMAN OF THE GUARD - -Another masterpiece exhibited three years later has now found a -permanent resting-place in the National Gallery. This riotous and -gorgeous exercise in strong colour could only have been accomplished -by an artist whose splendid audacity was equalled by his knowledge of -his craft. The scarlet uniform, with its lavish embroidery of black -and gold and picturesque fashion, was something that exactly suited -his fancy; and he revelled in his struggle with the many problems of -technique which such a subject presented for solution. Yet there is -little sign in the picture that he found it more than usually -exacting; and there is no evidence that he devoted to it an -exceptional amount of labour. It is particularly memorable for its -consistent and thorough treatment, for the sound judgment with which -every variation of the colour and every component part of the design -have been managed; and it seems to have been carried through without -hesitation or change of intention. It is an unfaltering record of a -clearly defined impression, and is not less interesting on account of -the sensitive and characteristic rendering of the worn, old face of -the model than as a piece of still life painting of quite -extraordinary force. The qualities that make it great are those -which distinguish the productions of none but the unquestionable -masters of pictorial art. - - - -THOMAS CARLYLE - -[Illustration: THOMAS CARLYLE.] - -The _Portrait of Thomas Carlyle_ has qualities scarcely less -commanding, though it did not offer such opportunities for the -display of masterly contrivance as were afforded by the _Yeoman of -the Guard_. To deal with masses of strong colour, or to attempt -audacities of brushwork, would not have been correct in a simple -presentation of a modern man. But even without any spectacular -additions this picture is a remarkable one, because it reveals so -plainly the discernment of character which had much to do with the -success that Millais gained in portraiture. He cannot be said to -have spared Carlyle in his analysis, nor to have tried to soften off -the angularities of disposition which made the grim old sage more -feared than loved by the people with whom he came in contact. The -face is frankly that of a man who has been soured by the warfare of -life; it is hard, dogmatic, fierce perhaps, and certainly intolerant, -but it is keenly intellectual and shrewdly reflective. There is -courage and firmness of conviction in every line, and the instinct of -the tenacious fighter is declared in all the rugged and rough-hewn -features. The unflinching gaze of the angry eyes, deep-set under the -lowering brows, is wonderfully suggested, and the cynical, -contemptuous mouth is magnificently drawn without any trace of -caricature. That such a man should have summed up humanity as -"mostly fools" would seem natural enough to every one who studies -this portrait; the Carlyle that Millais has put on record for us does -not look like a lover of his species, nor like a man who would find -much pleasure in the society of his fellows. Perhaps the painter has -been too severe--to such a breezy enthusiast Carlyle must have been -more than a little repellent--but he has indisputably been perfectly -consistent in his statement of what he considered to be the right -reading of the complex character of his famous sitter. - - - - -THE CHIEF WORKS OF MILLAIS IN PUBLIC GALLERIES, ETC. - - -NATIONAL GALLERY. - -The Yeoman of the Guard. 1876. 4 ft. 7 in. by 3 ft. 8 in. (1494.) - -Portrait of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone. 1879. 4 ft. 1 in. by 3 -ft. (1666.) - - -TATE GALLERY. - -Ophelia. 1852. 2 ft. 6 in. by 3 ft. 8 in. (1506.) Tate Gift. - -The Vale of Rest. 1858. 3 ft. 4 in. by 5 ft. 7 in. (1507.) Tate -Gift. - -The Knight Errant. 1870. 6 ft. by 4 ft. 5 in. (1508.) Tate Gift. - -The North-West Passage. 1874. 5 ft. 9 in. by 7 ft. 4 in. (1509.) -Tate Gift. - -Mercy--St. Bartholomew's Day--1572. 1886. 6 ft. 1 in. by 4 ft. 4 -in. (1510.) Tate Gift. - -Saint Stephen. 1895. 5 ft. by 3 ft. 9 in. (1563.) Tate Gift. - -A Disciple. 1895. 4 ft. 1 in. by 2 ft. 11 in. (1564.) Tate Gift. - -Speak! Speak! 1895. 5 ft. 6 in. by 6 ft. 11 in. (1584.) Chantrey -Bequest. - -The Order of Release--1746. 1853. 3 ft. 4 in. by 2 ft. 5 in. -(1657.) Tate Gift. - -The Boyhood of Raleigh. (1691.) 4 ft. by 4 ft. 8 in. Gift of Lady -Tate. (1870.) - -A Maid offering a Basket of Fruit to a Cavalier. 6 in. by 4½ in. -(1807.) Bequeathed by Mr. Henry Vaughan. - -Charles I. and his Son in the Studio of Van Dyck. 6¼ in. by 4½ in. -(1808.) Bequeathed by Mr. Henry Vaughan. - -Equestrian Portrait. 1882. 10 ft. 5 in. by 7 ft. 7 in. (1503.) -Anonymous donor. - -N.B. Sir Edwin Landseer painted the gray palfrey with the gorgeous -accoutrements, intending it for an equestrian portrait of Queen -Victoria, but this was never carried out, and ultimately the picture -was sent to Millais, who painted his daughter, now Mrs. James, in -this old riding costume, together with the page, the dog, and the -background, and called the picture "Nell Gwynne." It is also -sometimes known as Diana Vernon. - -It is initialled both by Landseer and Millais, and the date is that -of its completion by Millais. - - -NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. - -The Earl of Beaconsfield. A copy by Boyle from Millais' portrait. - -Thomas Carlyle. 1877. An unfinished portrait. 3 ft. 9 in. by 2 ft. -10 in. - -William Wilkie Collins, the novelist. 11 in. by 7 in. - -John Leech, caricaturist. In water-colours. 11 in. by 9 in. - - -BIRMINGHAM ART GALLERY. - -The Widow's Mite. 1869. 3 ft. 10 in. by 2 ft. 7 in. (171.) - -The Blind Girl. 1856. Pre-Raphaelite work. 2 ft. 8 in. by 1 ft. 9 -in. (172.) Presented by the Rt. Hon. William Kenrick. - - -BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, QUEEN VICTORIA ST., LONDON. - -Portrait of the Earl of Shaftesbury. 1877. - - -CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD. - -Portrait of the Rt. Hon. W. E. Gladstone. 1885. - - -FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM, CAMBRIDGE. - -The Bridesmaid. ("All Hallows' E'en.") 1851. - - -THE GARRICK CLUB, LONDON. - -Portrait of Sir Henry Irving. 1884. - - -INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, LONDON. - -Portrait of Sir John Fowler, Bart., C.E. 1868. - - -LEEDS ART GALLERY - - Childhood. } - Youth. } A series of panels for lunettes - Manhood. } formerly in the Judges' Lodgings in - Age. } Leeds. Painted in 1847. - Music. } - Art. } - - -LIVERPOOL ART GALLERY. - -Lorenzo and Isabella. 1849. Pre-Raphaelite work. 4 ft. 9 in. by 3 -ft. 4 in. Purchased in 1884. (337.) - -The Martyr of the Solway, in 1680. 1870. 1 ft. 10 in. by 2 ft. 4 -in. Presented by Mr. George Holt in 1895. (525.) - - -MANCHESTER ART GALLERY. - -Autumn Leaves. 1856. Pre-Raphaelite work. 3 ft. 5 in. by 2 ft. 5 -in. (144.) Bought from the Leathart Collection. - -A Flood. 1870. 3 ft. 2 in. by 4 ft. 8 in. (145.) From the -Matthews Collection. - -"Victory, O Lord!" 1871. 6 ft. 4 in. by 4 ft. 6 in. (171.) Bought -from the Executors of Mrs. Reiss, 1894. - - -THE CORPORATION OF MANCHESTER. - -Portrait of Bishop Fraser. 1880. - -Portrait of Queen Alexandra when Princess of Wales. 1886. - - -NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA. - -Portrait of the Marquis of Lorne, now Duke of Argyll. 1884. - - -NEW SOUTH WALES GALLERY, AUSTRALIA. - -The Captive. 1882. - - -THE CORPORATION OF OLDHAM. - -Portrait of T. O. Barlow, R.A. 1886. - - -OXFORD UNIVERSITY GALLERY. - -Portrait of Thomas Combe. 1850. - -Return of the Dove to the Ark. 1851. - - -THE ROYAL ACADEMY, BURLINGTON HOUSE DIPLOMA GALLERY. - -A Souvenir of Velazquez. 1868. - - -ROYAL HOLLOWAY COLLEGE, EGHAM. - -The Princes in the Tower. 1878. - -The Princess Elizabeth. 1879. - - -SHAKESPEARE MUSEUM, STRATFORD ON-AVON. - -Portrait of Lord Ronald Gower. 1876. - - -ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL, LONDON. - -Portrait of Sir James Paget. 1872. - -Portrait of Luther Holden, P.R.C.S. 1880. - - -UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW. - -Portrait of the Rev. John Caird, D.D. 1881. - - -THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. - -Portrait of George Grote. 1871. - - - - - CHISWICK PRESS: PRINTED BY CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. - TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. - - - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SIR JOHN EVERETT MILLAIS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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