.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
This portrait of Sir John Everett Millais was painted circa 1850 and is a very good example of Lover's looser style. Lover had just returned from a very successful tour of North America from 1846-48 where he toured with his 'Irish Evenings'. Encouraged to paint by John Comerford (c. 1770-1832), Lover combined his artistic career with that of a theatrical impresario and wrote poetry, songs, operas, novels and plays throughout his life. He also taught Sir Frederick William Burton (1816-1900), the artist and director of the National Gallery, London to paint and helped to found Bentley's Magazine with Charles Dickens (1756-1851) as editor.
Sir John Everett Millais became the youngest ever student at the Royal Academy in 1840 and along with Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1783-1854) and Holman Hunt (1790-1864), was a founder member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood who sought to emulate the works of painters earlier than Raphael. He was granted a baronetcy in 1885, the first artist to be honoured with a hereditary title since Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) in 1715 and was appointed President of the Royal Academy in 1896 but died later that year.
We are grateful to Dr Paul Caffrey for his help with this catalogue entry.
Sir John Everett Millais became the youngest ever student at the Royal Academy in 1840 and along with Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1783-1854) and Holman Hunt (1790-1864), was a founder member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood who sought to emulate the works of painters earlier than Raphael. He was granted a baronetcy in 1885, the first artist to be honoured with a hereditary title since Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) in 1715 and was appointed President of the Royal Academy in 1896 but died later that year.
We are grateful to Dr Paul Caffrey for his help with this catalogue entry.