Isabella (also known as Lorenzo and Isabella)
Oil painting on canvas; horizontal rectangular format • John Everett Millais (1829–1896)
Style & Movement
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB)
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas using the Pre-Raphaelite technique of painting in thin glazes over a wet white ground to achieve jewel-like luminosity.
Creation Period
1848-1849
Dimensions & Format
103 cm x 142.9 cm (40.5 in x 56.25 in); Landscape format
Subject Description
Based on a poem by John Keats, the scene depicts a dinner between Lorenzo, a humble clerk, and Isabella, the sister of wealthy merchants. The tension is palpable as Isabella's brothers realize the romantic connection between the two. Iconography includes a glass of blood-red wine and salt spilled on the table as omens of tragedy, and the brother kicking a greyhound as a sign of his cruelty.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; the painting is well-preserved with a highly stable paint film and vibrant color saturation.
Estimated Market Value
$15,000,000 - $25,000,000 USD (based on rarity and status as a founding PRB manifesto)
Auction Estimate
$12,000,000 - $20,000,000 USD
Provenance History
Purchased by B.G. Windus; later acquired by the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in 1884.
Art Historical Significance
This was Millais's first major work painted in the Pre-Raphaelite style and was one of the three paintings to first bear the 'PRB' initials. It represents a radical shift toward bright, flat lighting and meticulous medievalist detail, challenging the academic standards of the Royal Academy at the time.
Notable Features
The 'PRB' monogram is visible on the bench Isabella is sitting on. The central figure's white leggings are a masterclass in tonal variation. Many of the faces are portraits of Millais's friends and family, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti drinking in the background.
Condition Issues
Minimal age-related craquelure; historical cleaning may have slightly thinned some of the darker glazed areas, but overall structural integrity is high.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain controlled humidity and temperature (approx 20°C and 50% RH). Display under UV-filtering glass and low-lumen LED lighting to prevent pigment degradation.