Hayes Common, William Henry Millais
In the collection of the Yale Center for British Art, which has both zoomable and downloadable files. There is also a zoomable file on Google Art Project, and a downloadable file of that image, which is slightly larger and more colorful, on Wikimedia Commons.
William Henry Millais, the elder brother of John Everett Millais, and also part of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, was known for his paintings in watercolor and gouache.
The center’s website lists the medium for this work as “oil on canvas”, but I think that’s a mislabeling.
Link: Hayes Common, Yale Center for British Art
Beautifully painted landscape with what appears to be a ‘stick-on’ figure in the composition. Obligatory? What’s the story?
Bill
Indeed, it is so masterly painted and then there is that old -looking girl who doesn’t even cast a shadow. Is she painted afterwards, maybe by somebody else?
I read somwhere that the figure is painted by his brother Sir John Everett to make it more suitable for sale. Idiots!
Hayes Common was rejected by the Royal Academy – probably because the more conservative members of the Academy disliked the bright greens of Pre-Raphaelite landscape painting – and William Henry Millais seems to have been discouraged. At any rate, he never painted anything so ambitious again.
I love the painting as it is. Preferably with Riding Hood out of it.
Thanks, Bill & Hilde for raising the interesting questions.
Thanks, Ælle, for answering them!