Currently not on view

Study for The Woodman's Daughter,

1850

Sir John Everett Millais, British, 1829–1896
x1942-113
A study for Millais’s celebrated painting of 1850–51 now in the Guildhall Gallery in London, this drawing takes its subject from Coventry Patmore’s poem “The Woodman’s Daughter,” first published in 1844. Its story centers on Maud, the titular daughter once content in her childhood innocence but later seduced by a wealthy squire’s son, who ultimately abandons her and their illegitimate child. In this scene, Maud guilelessly takes strawberries from the hand of her future lover while her father works in the background. The commanding pose of the squire’s son, contrasted by Maud’s self-contained deference, perhaps hints at the tragedy to come.

Information

Title
Study for The Woodman's Daughter
Dates

1850

Medium
Graphite with touches of pen and brown ink
Dimensions
24.4 x 17.2 cm (9 5/8 x 6 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Frank Jewett Mather Jr.
Object Number
x1942-113
Inscription
in ink, upper right: Jack Millais
Culture
Materials