John Everett Millais - Sophie Gray 1857

Oil on paper laid on wood
Lent from a private collection courtesy of Peter Nahum at The Leicester Galleries, London to the Tate

Sophie Gray was around twelve when she sat for Autumn Leaves (also on display in this room), and fourteen in this hypnotic image of the onset of maturity, sexual awakening and power. In its resolute likeness, careful drawing and paint application, and subtle tones, this intimate picture is one of the most remarkable realist portraits of the nineteenth century.