Fine Art

The Blind Girl — History & Facts

The Blind Girl is an oil painting by John Everett Millais, completed between 1854 and 1856 and first exhibited in 1856. The work was created during a significant period in Millais’s career, when he was a leading figure in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The painting is recognized as one of his most accomplished explorations of social themes and naturalistic detail. The painting shows two young women seated on the grass beside a country road after a rain shower.

The older girl, identifiable as blind by the braille card in her lap and her closed eyes, sits with her head slightly bowed, while the younger girl leans against her, gazing out at the landscape. A double rainbow arcs across the sky, and the scene is rendered in vivid, precise detail, with attention to the textures of the girls’ clothing, the wildflowers, and the changing light. The use of bright, clear colors and careful observation of nature are characteristic of Millais’s Pre-Raphaelite style.

The contrast between the beauty of the landscape and the blind girl's inability to see it is a central element of the composition. The Blind Girl was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1856, where it attracted considerable attention for its technical skill and emotional depth. The painting has since become one of Millais’s most celebrated works and is frequently cited as a key example of Pre-Raphaelite art. It is held in the collection of Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery.

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