Peace Concluded

Peace Concluded, painted by John Everett Millais in 1856, shows a wounded British officer recovering at home, reclining on a sofa and absorbed in a newspaper while his wife leans against him and rests on his lap. The scene changed course during its making: Millais first conceived a satire against officers who obtained leave on supposedly urgent private business while ordinary soldiers endured hardship in the Crimea. With the war ending, that angle seemed outdated, and he turned to a convalescent at home instead. The details carry meaning. The myrtle bush behind the couple and the Irish wolfhound traditionally suggest marital fidelity, and the wooden Noah's ark toy holds animals standing for the combatants: the French rooster, the British lion, the Russian bear and the Ottoman turkey. One daughter draws out a dove, a symbol of peace, while the wife's garnet dress forms a red mass that suggests spilled blood. Critics were divided. Ruskin praised the colour, though others found the figures unconvincing. It has been suggested that the couple's closeness reflects that of Millais and his wife, Effie Gray.

Painter

John Everett Millais

Date

1856

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

117 × 91 cm

Museum

Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis

Movement

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Genre

genre art

Depicts

Noah's Ark, couch, medal, olive branch, lion, rooster, pigeon, bear

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