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Wandering Thoughts
painting
Millais, Sir John Everett P.R.A., H.R.I., HRCA
Europe, United Kingdom, England
1855 (circa)
1913.28
oil paint
35.2 x 24.9 cm
Wandering Thoughts about 1854
John Everett Millais 1829-1896
Oil on canvas
After his youthful alliance with the Pre-Raphaelites,
Millais began to find his own way.
One of his strengths was in his ability to evoke a feeling
of deep melancholy seen in works like Autumn Leaves.
This small work offers us a moment
in a narrative we cannot decipher with certainty.
The black dress and the letter suggest bereavement.
He looked again at the techniques of the old masters
scorned by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Here, he has used black, white and red
to give the picture strong contrasts and drama.
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