NEW PICTURE BY MILLAIS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1263, 14 May 1896, Page 38

NEW PICTURE BY MILLAIS.

Sir John E. Millais will probably sond to i the next Academy a subject picture repre--1 senting " A Forerunner "of Christ. Thi« is the whole-length, rather more than half-life-size, somewhat worn and attenuated figure of a tall man in tho very prime of life, standing near a rude stone altar, and in the act of binding with both hands a crosspiece near tho head of a long I reed so as to form a cross, such as we often see in tho hands of St. John the Baptist. He looks with passionate interest upon the emblem of his making, and all his form is inspired with tho ardour of his faith. Tho sentiment of the design is emphasised, and its motives are illustrated by a lurid twilight, which j glows blood red upon the horizon, floods ! the higher atmosphere, and between the j trunks of innumerable trees reaches to tho foreground, where, leaving his figure to bo illuminated by reflections,it lights up tho contours of tho forerunner. A jiowerful and original idea pervades the picture, which is exceptional among Sir John's works in representing a dark figure relieved j against a less dark ground, and in exI hibiting intense contrasts of light and | shadow, and very dee]) and brilliant hues | Hat areopposedto each other, and yotquito j in harmony. A life-size, threo-quarters-i length portrait of Candida Louisa, MarchionessofTweeddale, in n. full evening dress j of black satin worn under an opera-cloak | of the same colour, which is ttimmed with brown fur, is likely to be conspicuous among the portraits of the year. Tho I whole-length, lite-size portrait of a son of Lord Manners represents a little boy of i about four years old seated upon a rustic bank in the open air, wearing a coat of deep rose-coloured velvet and a wide open ' while collar. One of the most distinguished physicians of our time is represented to tho life in tho full-size three-quarters-length portrait by the President, of Sir Richard Quain, who is standing nearly in profile to our left, and, with his : arms folded upon his breast, looks before him with a serious and thoughtful, though not austere, air. Tho tones and rich colouring of the iiesh assort finely with tho bright and silvery whiteness of Sir Richard's close-cut hair, his black coat, and tho rather light warm-gray background.— A themeum.