John Everett Millais

Who was John Everett Millais?

Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

A child prodigy, at the age of 11 he became the youngest student to enter the Royal Academy Schools. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded at his parents' house in London. Millais became the most famous exponent of the style, his painting Christ in the House of his Parents generating considerable controversy. By the late 1850s Millais was moving away from the Pre-Raphaelite style. His later works were enormously successful, making Millais one of the wealthiest artists of his day. However, they have typically been viewed by 20th century critics as failures. This view has changed in recent decades, as his later works have come to be seen in the context of wider changes in the art world.

Millais' personal life has also played a significant role in his reputation. His wife Effie was formerly married to the critic John Ruskin, who had supported Millais' early work. The annulment of the marriage and her marriage of Millais have sometimes been linked to his change of style.