John Everett Millais

John Everett Millais (1829-1896) was a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the quintessential English gentleman artist. A Baronet and president of the Royal Academy, Millais produced some of the most famous images of his time.

His first Pre-Raphaelite work, The Carpenter's Shop, had a dramatic effect on the critics; Charles Dickens famously described his portrayal of the Christ child as a "hideous, wry-necked, blubbering, red-haired boy in a night-gown." Author Christine Riding analyzes his artistic career, his critics, and his audience, exploring the broader issues that preoccupied his contemporaries on the subject of art itself.