{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1255750"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1255750/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LG8316/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LG8316/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LG8316","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1255750","accessionNumber":"AR.14:3-1983","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Mrs Millais, Effie and Caroline Millais, Dalguise","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"Portrait of Mrs Millais (Euphemia Chalmers Gray) and her daughters, Effie and Caroline at Dalguise","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Rupert Potter (1832-1914), father of the children's writer  and illustrator, Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), was a keen amateur photogapher and a close friend of the painter and illustrator, Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896).   Rupert would often assist Millais by photographing  backgrounds for paintings and sitters for portraits.  Beatrix Potter recounted one particularly memorable sitting in July 1884 when her father photographed the former prime minister, William Ewart Gladstone (1809- 1898), for Millais' second portrait of him, completed in 1885: ' Papa has been photographing old Gladstone this  morning at Mr. Millais'…  They kept off politics of course,  and talked about photography.  Mr. Gladstone talked of it on a large scale, but not technically.  What would it  come to, how far would the art be carried, did papa think  people would ever be able to photograph in colours?'  (Journal, Monday 28th July 1884).\r\n\nEffie Millais (1860-1944) and Caroline Millais were the daughters of Euphemia ('Effie') Chalmers Gray (1828-1897) and Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896).  Euphemia had  previously married the art critic, author, poet and artist  John Ruskin (1819-1900) in 1846.  Shortly after their  marriage, however, Ruskin introduced her to his friend and protegée, Millais, and while she modelled for  Millais' painting, The Order of Release  (1853), she fell in love with him.  Ruskin had been unwilling  to consummate his marriage to Euphemia and, despite having been married for several years, she was still a virgin. In 1854, therefore, Euphemia annulled her marriage to Ruskin and  married Millais the following year.  They had  eight children, including John Guille Millais, a  naturalist and wildlife artist.  \r\n\nThe Millais family lived mostly in London but  spent long summer holidays at Annet Lodge  near Bowerswell, Perthshire.  Here, Millais executed many of his best-known paintings and enjoyed the company of likeminded friends, including the Potters who also spent extended summers in Perthshire, first at Dalguise, then later at Eastwood, a large house on the bank of  the Tay in Dunkeld.  Rupert photographed several pleasant summer afternoons in the company of the Millais family.\n\nThe twenty-foot mercat cross (market cross) of Dunkeld originally stood in the centre of the Cross, or High Street,  of the town of Dunkeld as a symbol of the town's right to  trade.  In the past it was also the focal point of town  events, such as executions, announcements and  proclamations.  However, in 1864 the cross was  removed to make way for the impressive Atholl  Memorial Fountain erected in memory of the Sixth Duke  of Atholl, George Augustus Frederick John Murray  (1814–1864).  The mercat cross was resituated in the  grounds of Dalguise House and was a preferred  backdrop to several of Rupert's portraits; it is now  housed in the Birnam Institute.","physicalDescription":"Photograph of three seated ladies. Mrs. Millais sits in the centre and her daughters on either side. The ladies are seated in front of the Mercat Cross of Dunkeld in a garden.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Rupert Potter","id":"N5415"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"albumen process","id":"AAT133274"},{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Albumen print on paper","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"},{"text":"Gardens & Gardening","id":"THES49002"},{"text":"Monuments","id":"THES252966"},{"text":"Tourism & Travel","id":"THES250702"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2018LG8316"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES317922"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1880","earliest":"1875-01-01","latest":"1884-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Joan Duke.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"216","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"165","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Mrs Millais / Effie & Caroline Millais / Dalguise'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscription in pencil on verso by Rupert Potter."}],"objectHistory":"Photograph taken by Rupert Potter at Dalguise, ca. 1880. Given to the Museum by Joan Duke in 1983.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph of Euphemia Chalmers Gray (wife of Sir John Everett Millais) and her daughters, Effie and Caroline in front of the Mercat Cross of Dunkeld at Dalguise House in Perthshire; taken by Rupert Potter ca. 1880.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Dalguise House","id":"x43404"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Effie Millais","id":"N7834"},{"text":"Caroline Millais","id":"N7856"},{"text":"Euphemia Chalmers Gray","id":"N7825"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["AR.14:3-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"14","accessionNumberPrefix":"AR","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"V&A Archive number","id":"THES54576"},"number":"AAD/1983/14/3"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-10","recordCreationDate":"2012-10-03","availableToBook":true}}