Wilkie Collins

Sitterback to top

• (William) Wilkie Collins (1824-1889), Novelist. Sitter in 21 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Bt (1829-1896), Painter and President of the Royal Academy. Artist associated with 39 portraits, Sitter associated with 69 portraits.

This portraitback to top

On 25 August 1894 George Scharf, the Director of the Gallery, wrote to Millais, who was then a Trustee of the Gallery, to say how sad he was that he had not been able to attend the meeting on the previous Thursday when the trustees had acquired Millais' portrait of Carlyle. He added that, 'Curiously enough, at the last moment before the meeting, a small portrait of Wilkie Collins attributed also to your pencil, was submitted to the Trustees. It represents Collins with a tremendous forehead, wearing spectacles and the face turned in three-quarters to the spectator's left. His raised hands are joined, palm to palm and fingers very flexible. Do you remember painting such a portrait?' Millais did indeed remember it, particularly the great bump on the sitter's forehead, but was more concerned by the discolouration owing to the 'nasty brown varnish'. It is an atmospheric portrait, intense and private, as befitted the author of The Woman in White' and The Moonstone.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Victorian Portraits Resource Pack, p. 11
• Funnell, Peter, Victorian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection, 1996, p. 11
• Funnell, Peter (introduction); Marsh, Jan, A Guide to Victorian and Edwardian Portraits, 2011, p. 35
• Funnell, Peter; Warner, Malcolm, Millais: Portraits, 1999 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 19 February to 6 June 1999), pp. 53 ; 76
• Marsh, Jan, Insights: The Pre-Raphaelite Circle, 2005, p. 54
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery: An Illustrated Guide, 2000, p. 126
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 137

Subjects & Themesback to top

• Eyeglasses and spectacles
• On display at the Gallery
• Portraits with Archive documents