In this episode, we’ll be visiting Bright Eyes by John Everett Millais at the Aberdeen Art Gallery in Scotland. Welcome to Art, Culture & Books with me, Anthony King.
John Everett Millais, one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was born in Southampton, England in 1829 and he painted the oil on canvas Bright Eyes in 1877. It was an Alexander Macdonald Bequest in 1901. The Aberdeen Art Gallery tell us:
“Alexander Macdonald was a wealthy granite merchant and art collector from Aberdeen. He bought Bright Eyes the year it was painted. It hung in his dining room until it was donated to the Gallery after the death of his widow in 1901, along with the rest of his collection. He also established a monetary bequest for the purchase of artworks produced within the previous 25 years.”
In the portrait, Florence Coleridge is captured in a candid moment, her gaze unwavering and her demeanour unpretentious. Wrapped snugly around her figure is an eye-catching Inverness Cape in a bold shade of red, while her hands find comfort in its pockets. Millais’ rendition suggests a nod to the contemporary French portraiture scene, possibly influenced by the innovative approaches of artists like Edouard Manet.