MILLAIS
Portraits
By Peter Funnell et al
John Everett Millais was, certainly in his latter years, the best known, most successful and highly paid portrait painter of the late Victorian era.
He painted four Prime ministers, and was made a baronet by Gladstone and is surely deserving of better treatment than he has previously received.
For this reason in 1999 curator of nineteenth century work at the NPG, Peter Funell, arranged for an exhibition of his work to be held in the Wolfson gallery.
Our book was published to accompany that exhibition.
In four chapters: Early and Pre Raphaelite portraits, portraits of children, portraits of men, and portraits of women; an essay by an expert discusses his output, aided by a wide range of illustrations in colour and also black and white.
At the end of the chapter, in a catalogue format, fifty five of his greatest works, a real who is who of eminent Victorians, are being reproduced, each with an extended caption.
An overdue reassessment of an unjustly maligned artist at least now.

Tags: successful, victorian, ministers, baronet, treatment, portraits