Why There’s More Drama to This Painting Than Meets the Eye

A Victorian artwork on the eve of tragedy

Detail of ‘A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew’s Day’ (1852) by John Everett Millais. Oil on canvas. 92.71 × 64.13 cm. Private collection. Image Source

In the private confines of a walled garden, two lovers share an intense embrace. What appears to be a simple moment of affection is, in truth, a scene charged with moral conflict.

This painting tells the story of an impending tragedy through gestures and symbols. It is an intimate portrait, and one of the reasons I admire it is how its unusual arrangement distils the core drama into a series of telling details.

Notice first how she has tied a white band around the man’s arm and attempts to knot it. At the same time he resists, pulling the band away.

Also, look at the expression on the woman’s face. She carries a forlorn look in her glazed eyes but also an obstinacy in her steadfast expression and stern lips. And what about the man? His gentleness is also cut through with a different sort of constancy, a look of confidence and resolve, most especially in the way he tugs the white armband loose.

A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew’s Day (1852) by John Everett Millais. Oil on canvas. 92.71 × 64.13 cm. Private collection. Image Source

So what’s going on here?