The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-07
II !jl|- zl|@4lt ) |I:f j
A Great British Painter.

book on art which has appeared this win
ter and certainly 1t is the handsomest. II
is two-volume work. with more
than three hundred illustrations
some OF them fine photograv-
ures, others less pretentious but almost as
beautiful half-tones, and still others re-
productions OF outline sketches by Millais
and others. There are something like a
thousand pages In the two volumes and
the book Is comprehensive and exhaus-
tive biography, dealing with Millais' worl,
as an artist and his life as a man. contain
ing much Of his correspondence and many
interesting quotations from the work of
other eminent men, bearing on his work
or on the general subject of Pre- Raphael
itism, with which he was in his younger
days so closely identified The author
brings TO his task not only the peculiarly
valuable qualification of being thoroughly
familiar with his subject, but also con-
siderable literary ability. He is the author
OF two previous books, "A Breath From
the Veldt," and British Deer and Their
Horns"
The book is so full of good things that
one need only open Il at random to come
upon matters worth mentioning. The il
lustration Is, of course, the particularly
satisfactory feature OF the work. Every
important picture of the artist is repro
duced, and, one would say, nearly all the
uDimportant ones for though the work Of
the late President OF the Royal Academy
has been more widely copied in popular
prints than that of almost any other ar
list, there are among these illustrations
scores of pictures with which the general
public will be totally unfamiliar. 1t is in
teresting to look through the book, without
reading a word of the text, and note the
evolution OF the mans genius. as recorded
In these almost infinitely varying pictures
and, in fact, that is what most of those
who take # up are likely TO do before
reading II. There are portraits, carica-
lures. symbolic and historical pictures IL
Illustrations OF the work of various poets
mainly OF Tennyson; landscapes. battle
pieces. and nearly every other kind OF pic
ture known to man. Millais was to art
very much what Tennyson was to litera-
ture-partly an original genius partly an
expression OF the reactionary forces of the
age. partly. II must be confessed most
conventional Philistine.
One may see that in his face. clean-cut.
forceful. keen-eyed, square iawed-the face
OF the English squire, not of the Bohe-
milan. He could never have illustrated the
story of Launcelot and Guinevere as the
VI.
Just as Tcnnyson failed in writing the
story. With all their exquisite imagery
and melody. the Idyls lack the one quality
OF broad human sympathy which the
rugged and fearless Browning would have
Fiven them. Millais. like Tennyson, was
product OF the great English middle
class; and his pictures must always have I
a moral. He is not painter OF human
nature for its own sake, except perhaps in |
q few OF his earlier pictures. Mariana" /,
is pure artistic sensibility put into form !
and color So is Ferdinand Lured by |
Ariel" But in such pictures as THE 1
Order OF Release and THE Huguenot 1
Lovers" conscience dominates every line. !
Millais could never have said, with old |
Fra Lippo Lippi.
u you get simple beauty and nausht else
iou get about the best thing God inyenis
any more than Tennyson, even IN writing
Of the old monkish. beauty loving repro-
bate OF painter, could have given voice
to that couplet.
But for all that this biography is very
charming. and though Millais was not the
greatest artist who ever lived, he was uu-
ceniably genius. and the divine spark
Will have It's way, despite all smotberings
and swaddlings of false thought. 1t Is
to be hoped that the invention of color
Photography will one day make ii posi-
bic TO reproduce his work in color. for |
some such book as this. The half-tones
and photograyures however are so skill /
fully done as to give almost the color
enects by the simple use Of black and /
white In The Eve Of St Agnes and
Mariana" this is particularly noticeable.
one OF the most interesting features of
the biography itself is the care which the
author has taken to trace the origin of as
many as possible OF his fathers most IA
nous pictures This will be particularly
delightful to those students of art-there
are always some-who wish to know how
the notion for a picture originated. and
VINO were It's models. For example, il is
recorded that in his childhood the painter
became acquainted with a charming fam
ily named Lempriere. who lived in Jersey.
who made much Of the gifted boy. A
grandson OF the Seigneur Lempriere sub
seauenny figured, in 1852, as the "Hugue-
not"
Millais is said TO have depended very it,
tie on the professional model, usually Sc
curing some member of his own family.
Some friend, or some acquaintance TO pose
FOR his pictures. An instance OF his quick
ness TO see the possible usefulness of
subject is given in connection with the IA
miliar Little Princes in the Tower''-the
Two little fellows clad in black velvet, WHO
stand OF the stairway clinging to one an
other. 4 lady brought her two little sons
10 another painter. friend of MiIlais
With the view OF having them painted in
some historical character. The painter
racked his brain for an idea, but failed 10
think of anything suitable Shortly after
ward he went TO see Millais, and 10, the
latter had already posed the boys for the
Little Princes, and had an elaborate sketch
OF them. II is also recorded that Millais
never could see that picture without re-
calling the sound of brittle candy crunch
ing under foot The youngsters always
brought their pockets full O. some sort Of
fragile CONNECTION. and 10 the artists great !
annoyance, it usually got scattered on the
noor. making an Irritating noise
Another rather iudicrous incident is
given in connection with the painting of
'opheiia,' a picture less familiar TO the /,
public. IL represents the beautiful daugh- ,
.er Of Folonius lying halfsubmerged in the
stream. with face unturned and flowers
about her. The young lady who posed for !
his figure was obliged to lie in a tank !
partly filled with water to secure the ,
proper effect of floating garments and sub
aqueous coloring. and the water was heat I
ID by oil lamps placed under the tank. {
md kept moderately burning. One cold ]
lay in winter the lamps went out, Millais /
was too much occupied to notice IL, the I
model was too timid to say anything and /
he poor young woman nearly caught her I
leath-cold by lying for an hour or more In !
his chilly bath. She had an Illness after &
he experience, and her father threatened '
o bring suit. Such are the unromantic in i
idenis of the origin Of certain poetical {
paintings. still another is given in telling L
he circumstances under which Mariana" q
vas painted. One day the model failed TO U
ppear. Milleis disliked 10 be idle. and
vas fretted. Then IT occurred to him that a