John Everett MillaisBritish, 1829–1896Peace Concluded
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
Minneapolis Institute of Art
RoomG357Minneapolis, United States
On public display.
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- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Peace Concluded, 1856 (1856) is a painting by John Everett Millais which depicts a wounded British officer reading The Times newspaper's report of the end of the Crimean War. It was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1856 to mixed reviews, but was strongly endorsed by the critic John Ruskin who proclaimed that in the future it would be recognised as "among the world's best masterpieces". The central figure in the painting is a portrait of Millais's wife Effie Gray, who had previously been married to Ruskin. It is now in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
In the museum's words
At first glance this appears to be a family portrait complete with realistic details of middle-class English decor. In fact, it is a staged scene of domestic harmony, celebrating the end of the Crimean War. The father, a wounded officer, holds a copy of the Times announcing the war's end. One daughter clasps his combat medal. On the mother's lap, four animals from the toy Noah's Ark represent the four belligerents: Britain (lion), Russia (bear), the Ottoman Empire (turkey), and France (rooster). The girl at the left holds a dove with an olive branch in its beak, a symbol of peace. Millais belonged to a group of English painters called the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Their work emphasized close observation of nature and the depiction of contemporary events.
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 69.48
In the catalog
Sources
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Image: Minneapolis Institute of Art — public domain
Meanwhile, in the life of John Everett Millais
The whole life3 July 1855
Married: Effie Gray
1855–1857
After his marriage he changes manner: faster and dearer
Marriage changed Millais: to support his growing family he began to paint more quickly and in greater quantity and to sell his pictures dearly, moving away from Pre-Raphaelite principles. Effie became a powerful promoter of his work, and together they secured commissions and widened their circle; he gained great popularity and a fortune (up to £30,000 a year), while William Morris and other critics accused him of selling out.
30 May 1856
Son born: Sir Everett Millais, 2nd Baronet
1857
Ruskin calls “Sir Isumbras” a catastrophe
Ruskin called Sir Isumbras (1857), in which Millais had departed sharply from Pre-Raphaelite technique, not even a failure but a catastrophe.
19 September 1857
Son born: George Gray Millais
28 November 1858
Daughter born: Effie Gray Millais
