Christ in the House of His Parents

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Christ in the House of His Parents
Sir John E Millais (1829-1896) Christ in the
House of His Parents (Carpenters Shop) 1850
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Sir John Everett Millais The Artist

• Born on June 8, 1829 in Southampton into a
  prominent Jersey-based family.
• Considered a prodigy in art, he was accepted
  into the Royal Academy schools at the age of
  eleven. (youngest student ever admitted)
• There he established ties with William Holman
  Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rosetti, who together
  formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848.
• His most controversial work was the Carpenters
  Shop, the piece presented before.
• Other famous works and contributions to the
  movement Ophelia (1852) and various
  interpretations of Tennysons poems.
• Was famous for his intricate detail and
  meticulous work.

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Sir John Everett Millais Weird Facts

• He was really good friends with John Ruskin.
  (Yeah remember him?) The critic, who at one point
  was considered The Critic of England who liked
  Gothic architecture, defended the Pre-Raphaelite
  movement, etc.
• Euphemia Gray, Ruskins wife, was used often by
  Millais as a modelThat is until they fell in
  love and she divorced him to marry Millais.
• After Millaiss marriagehe happened to become a
  more broader painter, and just so happened to
  get the tongue-lashing from Ruskins critiques.
  Ruskin at one point called his style a complete
  catastrophe.
• He was considered a sell out by his peers, in
  order to become popular and wealthy. Some critics
  believe that it was the resentment of his wealth
• His style later on in life changed to a more
  Impressionist outlook, and he admired the styles
  of Velázquez and Rembrandt.
• He was a publisher and illustrator for books,
  which attributed greatly to his popularity. One
  of which was Bubbles (1886).
• Served as an associate member for Royal Academy
  of Arts in 1853 and then a full member soon
  after.
• He was the first artist to be granted baronetcy
  (the title of baron), a typically hereditary
  title.
• He was elected as the president of the Royal
  Academy of Arts in 1896 but died of throat cancer
  the same year.

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Christ in the House of His Parents
So what about it?
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Christ in the House of His Parents
The original sketch of Christ in the House of His
Parents (Carpenters Shop). Pencil/paper sketch.
(1850). Does not include the ladder, the dove, or
John the Baptist.
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Christ in the House of His Parents
Relax, this is not a mistake/repeat.
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Christ in the House of His Parents

• The painting was done in oil, and was completed
  in 1850.
• Millais actually used a real-life carpenters
  shop on Oxford Street as his background layout.
• The verse Zechariah 136 were depicted along
  with painting
• And one shall say unto him, what are these
  wounds in thine hands? Then He shall answer,
  Those with which I was wounded in the house of my
  friends.
• - The scene is a depiction of Jesus being
  comforted after being injured. John is bringing
  water and vinegar to disinfect the wound.
• Symbols include
• The ever present theme of crucifixion
  depicted as nails, the wood, the cut on little
  
• Jesus hand, the blood on his left foot, and
  the vinegar (which was offered to him
• at the crucifixion).
• Sheep in the background The image of Jesus
  as a shepherd.
• The dove The symbol of peace and innocence.
  It also serves as a symbol of the
• holy spirit.
• The heavy lighting and detail on the table
  symbolizes the communion table.
• John carrying the water and vinegar
  symbolizing Jesus baptism.
• - Currently it is displayed at the Tate Museum.

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Christ in the House of His Parents

• The painting caused a huge controversy. The
  painting was considered by many a blasphemous and
  disrespectful representation of Jesus.
• There were many who thought the plain and
  normal depiction of Jesus unacceptable, one of
  which was Charles Dickens.
• Dickens described the image of Christ as a a
  hideous, wry-necked, blubbering, red-haired boy
  in a night-gown.
• He also disliked the gloomy atmosphere and the
  apparent depiction of a stereotypical alcoholic,
  or low-class family, rather the depiction of the
  sacred family.
• Ruskin however, approved of the painting, and
  supported it through both criticism and through
  financial and social assistance to get the
  Pre-Raphaelite artists known.

/
Image of Dickens, apparently angrily jeering at
the painting
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Other Famous Works
Bubbles (1886)
The Blind Girl (1856)
Ophelia (1852)
The Boyhood of Raleigh (1871)
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Sources

• Images (Ophelia/The Blind Girl/The Boyhood of
  Raleigh) and information on Millais
  Wikipedia.com
• Tate Museums brief description
  http//www.ready-to-hang.com/LCP_ArtNotes/Sir_J_Mi
  llais_ChristChild.htm
• Black and white image of Millais
  http//www.iolaire.co.uk/heads/pages/Sir20John20
  E20Millais.htm- Original drawing of painting
  image and painting image http//www.victorianweb.
  org/painting/millais/drawings/15.html- Bible
  verse http//bible.cc/zechariah/13-6.htm- Image
  of Dickens http//dickens.thefreelibrary.com/-
  Image of Bubbles http//classicartrepro.com/paint
  ing.iml?painting4549