The Blind Girl - John Everett Millais

The Blind Girl, John Everett Millais, oil paint, 1854-1856

When we were assigned to pick an artist or artwork that stood out to us, this painting came to mind, because I think it's my favorite at the moment. The Blind Girl depicts two girls sitting in a field, with a vibrant double rainbow in the background. One of my favorite parts of this painting is how much story is able to be conveyed through its little details. The older girl is blind, as shown very directly by the sign she wears around her neck which says "Pity The Blind", but also through more subtle ways. For example, she lets the sun hit her face while the younger girl, who sees, turns away from it to shield her eyes. The older girl also sits facing away from the rainbows which the younger girl looks at, and instead feels the grass next to her, possibly to gain a better understanding of the environment. The instrument in her lap also shows that she perceives the world through listening instead of by seeing.

I love a lot of other parts of this painting too. The vibrant colors it has, for example, are really beautiful and unique. I could stare at all of the little details, like the houses, trees, farm animals, and birds in the background, as well as the butterfly on the older girl's shoulder and the little flowers next to her for hours. I like that they're holding hands and that the painting has rough edges too, it makes the painting feel more like it's portraying characters in a storybook.

I've really liked looking at works from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which was why I chose John William Waterhouse for my artist copy project and why I like this one so much, and I'd like to find more works like this in the future.