Collection: John Everett Millais

John Everett Millais (1829–1896) was an English painter and illustrator, born in Southampton. A child prodigy, he became the youngest student to enter the Royal Academy Schools at age eleven. Millais co-founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 at his family home in London, becoming a primary exponent of the movement's style.

Millais's early work, such as Christ in the House of His Parents (1849–50), generated controversy due to its realism. His painting Ophelia (1851–52) embodied the group's historical and naturalist focus. By the mid-1850s, Millais moved from the Pre-Raphaelite style to develop a new form of realism. While his later works achieved considerable success, some critics, including William Morris, viewed this shift as a departure from his earlier ideals. Recent scholarship re-evaluates these later works within the broader context of late nineteenth-century art.

Millais's personal life, particularly his marriage to Effie Gray following the annulment of her marriage to John Ruskin, has been linked to his stylistic evolution. Effie actively promoted his work, collaborating to secure commissions and expand their social and intellectual circles.