The Proscribed Royalist, 1651

The Proscribed Royalist, 1651 (1852-1853) is a painting by John Everett Millais which depicts a young Puritan woman protecting a fleeing Royalist after the Battle of Worcester in 1651, the decisive defeat of Charles II by Oliver Cromwell. The Royalist is hiding in a hollow tree, a reference to a famous incident in which Charles himself hid in a tree to escape from his pursuers. Millais was also influenced by Vincenzo Bellini's 1835 opera I Puritani.[1]

The Proscribed Royalist, 1651
ArtistJohn Everett Millais
Year1852-1853
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions102.8 cm × 73.6 cm (40.5 in × 29.0 in)
LocationLord Lloyd-Webber Collection

His friend and fellow painter, Arthur Hughes, served as the model for the Royalist.[2]

Millais painted the picture in Hayes, Kent, from a local oak tree that became known as the Millais Oak.[3]

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Notes

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  1. ^ Jason Rosenfeld, John Everett Millais, Phaidon Press Ltd., 2012, pp. 70–1, 73–4, 88, 102, 111–12, 192.
  2. ^ "Arthur Hughes, portrait study for 'The Proscribed Royalist'". Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ Millais, J.G., Life and Letters of Sir John Everett Millais, vol. 1, p.166; See also Arborecology, containing a photograph of the Millais oak