John Everett MILLAIS
English 1829–1896
The rescue
1855
oil on canvas
121.5 x 83.6 cm
Felton Bequest 1924
1302-3

This tribute to the heroism of firemen was Millais’ first painting of a contemporary subject. ‘Soldiers and sailors have been praised a thousand times. My next picture shall be of firemen’, he wrote. In preparation for the painting he travelled all over London to witness the work of firemen first hand and then set up an elaborate installation in his studio which recreated the lighting effects of fire.

Millais was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which rejected the artistic conventions espoused by the Royal Academy. The Brotherhood sought inspiration in the masters of the early Italian Renaissance, favouring simplicity and directness in form and clarity in content. They imbued their work with a spirit of nobility.

In this painting the bravery of the fireman gives a contemporary reading to a heroic figure often seen in ancient mythology.