Painting of the Day: “The Nest” by Sir John Everett Millais, 1887

"The Nest"
Sir John Everett Millais
1887
The Lady Lever Art Gallery, Liverpool

Millais’ paintings were always considered to be tender and touching. Critics of his later works often complained that they were so sentimental as to overpower Millais’ immense talent and make them appear “cheap.” The critics may have thought them trite, but Millais’ works never failed to sell quite well and were eagerly snatched up by art collectors.


Lord Leverhulme, like many of his contemporaries, liked a good bit of sentimentality and bought this painting by Millais—The Nest—knowing that reproductions of it would sell a lot of his soap. And, they did. Of course, once the ads had run their course, he kept the painting and gave it to his wife. Today, it lives in the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool.