Pre-Raphaelite Millais is a revelation at the Tate

The show consists of about 140 paintings, from the Pre-Raphaelite artist's famous depiction of Shakespeare's Ophelia to works not shown since the 19th century.

It ranges from society portraits to little-known landscapes from late in his life.

Curator Alison Smith said she believed the exhibition would transform understanding of Millais and convince even the most sniffy critics.

Although he was the best-known and most successful painter in Britain in the second half of the 19th century, Millais was treated with more suspicion in the 20th century, when many thought his work over-emotional.

Dr Smith said: "Most people know a couple of images, such as Ophelia, and some of the later paintings, such as Bubbles [used for Pears soap advertisements].

"But looking at Millais in his entirety, he comes out as a fantastic painter and figure in British art.

"There's never been an opportunity to look at him like this before and people will be astonished. "He comes across as technically accomplished but his technique changes. He was an innovator and a pioneer of human psychology pre-Freud."

Millais was born in Southampton in 1829 and, at the age of 11, became the youngest person to win a place at the Royal Academy schools thanks to his prodigious talent.

He went on to found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood with William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti and became the first artist to be honoured with a hereditary title. He died in 1896.

The Tate Britain exhibition is the first since a 1967 show at the Royal Academy. It includes a self-portrait, which was commissioned by the Uffizi in Florence and is being lent by the gallery. It has not been exhibited in Britain since 1881.

There is also a portrait of Millais's daughters, Mary, Alice and Effie. Effie was named after his wife, who was first married to the critic John Ruskin. The picture was last shown in Glasgow in 1901 and had been lost to scholars for more than 30 years.

Another highlight is the 12 late Scottish landscapes, the largest number since a Millais memorial exhibition of his work in 1898.

"No one knows about them but they are a real revelation," said Dr Smith.

Millais opens on Wednesday and runs until 13 January next year.

You can see more Millais images at www.standard.co.uk
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