Millais

by Jason Rosenfeld, Alison Smith

As a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, John Everett Millais (1829-1896) spearheaded one of the most radically modern artistic groups in the history of British art. Later in his career, Millais was considered an establishment figure who swapped artistic innovation for commercial gain. For the first time, this book allows us to see Millais in the context of his whole career, arguing that his late works, especially his landscapes, are as dramatic in their freshness of vision as those of his Pre-Raphaelite period. He is revealed as a complex artist with significant links to Manet, Whistler, and Sargent; and one who helped to spark a renewed interest in British eighteenth-century art.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Art History, History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2007

Reviews

[E. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

--John Everett Millais

End Notes
Chronology
Bibliography
Index
Picture Credits
Acknowledgements

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one more than earns its place on my art shelves. A thorough bio on a multi-layered man, who's works are well represented and beautifully reproduced.

[JoséMaría BlancoWhite · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book combines pictures and text half and half. The pictures are mostly half the size of the page, but there are also full size pictures, and a great quality they are. This, actually, is the best in the book. The text, on the other hand, is too small in print, too narrowly restricted to the comment of the work in question or its relation to the time in the painter's life. But it lacks a more fluid narrative of the painter's life. Of course it is not a biography, but it doesn't need to be strictly a biography. It could, and should, have interrelated more fluidly both with the painter's life and his works. The language used isn't that technical, which I deeply appreciate.

Otherwise it's quite a complete set of his finest works. A delight to the eye, although the man keeps being a distant mystery to me, even with his paintings present.

[G.A. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, full of interesting information and beautiful pictures. It's a work of art in itself.