Jump to content

John Ruskin(Millais)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Ruskin
ArtistSirJohn Everett Millais
Year1853–1854
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions78.7 cm × 68 cm (31.0 in × 27 in)
LocationAshmolean Museum,Oxford

John Ruskinis a portrait of the leadingVictorianart criticJohn Ruskin(1819–1900).[1][2][3]It was painted by thePre-RaphaeliteartistJohn Everett Millais(1829–1896) during 1853–54. John Ruskin was an early advocate of the Pre-Raphaelite group of artists and part of their success was due to his efforts.

The painting depicts Ruskin in front of awaterfallinGlenfinlas,Scotland.Ruskin and Millais spent the summer of 1853 together at Glenfinlas in theTrossachs.[4]Ruskin was especially interested in therock formationsand undertook his own studies of these.

Creation[edit]

The painting of Ruskin was started at Glenfinlas, during which the details of the landscape were painted. The last stages of work on the painting were undertaken in Millais' studio in London. By that time Ruskin's wifeEffiehad fallen in love with Millais. She left Ruskin and sued him for an annulment of the marriage. She and Millais were married the following year.

Study ofGneissRock,Glenfinlas,pen and ink, 1853,Ashmolean Museum,Oxford

Millais found it very difficult to be in the same room as Ruskin when he was completing the work in London, calling it "the most hateful task I have ever had to perform".[5]As soon as the portrait was finished he broke off contact with Ruskin. Ruskin himself temporarily moved the portrait so that his father would not see it, since he was concerned that he would damage or destroy it.

Provenance[edit]

The painting was given by Ruskin to his friendHenry Wentworth Aclandin 1871. It was left to his daughter, the photographerSarah Angelina Acland,who kept it above her desk at the Acland family home inBroad Street,centralOxford[6][7]and later at her own home inPark Town,North Oxford,where she photographed it in colour.[8][9]It was then passed down through the family until it was sold atChristie'sin 1965. The purchaser retained the painting until they died in 2012. It was accepted by theBritish Governmentin lieu ofinheritance taxin 2013 and permanently allocated to theAshmolean Museum,Oxford,to which it had been on loan since 2012 and where it has been on display since 2013.[5]

The painting has been exhibited several times, including exhibitions on the Pre-Raphaelites atTate BritainLondon, during 1984 and 2004.[10]The painting was included in an exhibition onColour Revolutionin Victorian times at theAshmolean Museumin Oxford during 2023–4, together with the first colour photograph of the portrait taken by the pioneer colour photographer in herNorth Oxfordhome inPark Town,held in theHistory of Science Museum, Oxford.[11][12]

The painting was valued by the Director of Finance atOxford Universityat £7.0 million in 2012–3.[13] The painting featured in the 2014 filmEffie Gray.[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Gehler, Greer."Millais's Portrait of John Ruskin".The Victorian Web.
  2. ^"Sir John Everett Millais. John Ruskin. 1854. Oil on canvas. Private collection".abcgallery.Olga's Gallery.
  3. ^Easby, Rebecca Jeffrey (9 August 2015)."Sir John Everett Millais, Portrait of John Ruskin".Smarthistory.Retrieved19 November2023.
  4. ^"Ruskin and Millais at Glenfinlas".The Burlington Magazine.Vol. 138, no. 1117. UK. April 1996. pp. 228–234.JSTOR886970– viaJSTOR.
  5. ^ab"Oxford's Ashmolean museum acquires Millais John Ruskin portrait".BBC News.UK:BBC.20 May 2013.
  6. ^Hudson, Giles (2012).Sarah Angelina Acland: First Lady of Colour Photography.Oxford:Bodleian Library.pp. 180–181.ISBN978-1-85124-372-3.
  7. ^Hudson, Giles (20 May 2013)."Millais's Portrait of Ruskin, Sarah Angelina Acland, and Photography".britishphotohistory.ning.Retrieved19 November2023.
  8. ^"Colour Photograph (Autochrome) of the Millais Portrait of John Ruskin Hanging in her House at Park Town, Oxford, by Sarah Angelina Acland, Early 20th Century".UK:History of Science Museum, Oxford.Retrieved3 May2022.
  9. ^Hudson, Giles (20 May 2013)."Pre-Raphaelite Photography: Sarah Angelina Acland and Millais's Portrait of Ruskin at Glenfinlas".Matters Photographical.Retrieved19 November2023.
  10. ^"Pre-Raphaelite Vision: Truth to Nature".London, UK:Tate Britain.2004.(12 February – 3 May 2004)
  11. ^Hewitson, Madeline (2023)."The Colourful Creatives: How Victorian Women Shaped Colour Technologies".UK:Ashmolean Museum.Retrieved19 November2023.
  12. ^Bowen, Jonathan P."Ruskin, Millais, and the Aclands: The colourful story of a painting, from oils to pixels".EVA London 2024: Electronic Visualisation and the Arts.eWiC.BCS.pp. 122–129.doi:10.14236/ewic/EVA2024.21.
  13. ^Kerr, Giles (2013)."Financial Statements 2012/13 Commentary"(PDF).UK:University of Oxford.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 18 February 2014.Retrieved12 September2014.
  14. ^Kingsley, Jenny (December 2014)."John Ruskin and Effie Gray – portrait of a marriage".Cassone: The International Online Magazine of Art and Art Books.Retrieved26 June2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Ruskin_(Millais)&oldid=1231080126"