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Sir John Everett Millais, Bt  1829-1896

Sir John Everett Millais, Bt Mrs James Wyatt Jr and her Daughter Sarah circa 1850
Mrs James Wyatt Jr and her Daughter Sarah  circa 1850

Oil on mahogany
support: 353 x 457 mm frame: 575 x 677 x 68 mm
painting

Purchased 1984

T03858

Eliza Wyatt is shown here with her daughter Sarah. Eliza was the daughter-in-law of James Wyatt, a collector, dealer and print publisher who supported the Pre-Raphaelites.The prints on the wall show Renaissance masterpieces: Raphael’s Madonna della Sedia, Leonardo’s The Last Supper and Raphael’s Alba Madonna. Their flowing lines and idealised figures contrast sharply with the realistic but awkward portrayal of Eliza and Sarah Wyatt. John Everett Millais seems to be emphasising how his art challenges the Victorian taste for Renaissance art. This is also why the group called themselves the Pre-Raphaelites.

 (From the display caption July 2007)