Isabella
John Everett Millais · 1849
Why it's great
A family sits at a long dinner table, and the two lovers, Isabella and Lorenzo, are at the center, their feelings hidden. Millais based it on a poem by Keats, and he used his friends and family as models. He painted every detail with great sharpness, which was a daring approach in 1849. It marks the beginning of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Where to see it
📍 Walker Art GalleryLiverpool, United Kingdom
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John Everett Millais was born in Southampton, England, and was a child prodigy who entered the Royal Academy at 11. He co-founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group that painted with bright color and fine detail. Later he became a famous society painter and was made a baronet, the first artist to receive that honor. He ended his life as President of the Royal Academy in London.
