Millais, << mih LAY, >> Sir John Everett (1829-1896), an English painter, helped found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848. The brotherhood was a group of poets and painters who believed that art should present moral messages through uplifting themes. Most of Millais’s paintings have literary or religious subjects. He painted detailed and realistic pictures in the Pre-Raphaelite manner until about 1857. He then changed his style, painting sentimental pictures that became extremely popular. He also painted portraits of distinguished Englishmen of his time and illustrated books and periodicals.
Millais was born in Southampton. He was a child prodigy and attended classes at the Royal Academy of Arts when he was only 11 years old.
