John Everett Millais was a titan of Victorian art. A child prodigy, he entered the Royal Academy Schools at just eleven years old, the youngest student in its history.

As a young man, he challenged conservative traditions by co-founding the revolutionary Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to revitalize British painting. His early work rejected idealized forms for an uncompromising, hyper-realistic style. Millais painted directly from nature with painstaking precision, capturing intricate botanical details and vibrant pigments.

His career evolved from radical beginnings to broad public success. Later in life, he became one of the most successful artists in Victorian Britain and was eventually elected President of the Royal Academy.