photograph by Lewis Carroll of Effie Gray and John Millais with two of their children c1860, signed by Effie.

Euphemia ('Effie') Chalmers Gray (1828 - 1897) was the wife of the critic John Ruskin but later left her husband to marry his protege, the Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais. This famous Victorian "love triangle" has been dramatised in several plays and an opera. Ambrotype photograph by Lewis Carroll from c1860 depicting Effie Gray and John Everett Millais with two of their children, signed by Effie Millais. ... Ambrotype photograph by Lewis Carroll from c1860 depicting Effie Gray and John Everett Millais with two of their children, signed by Effie Millais. ... Photograph of Lewis Carroll taken by himself, with assistance Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (January 27, 1832 – January 14, 1898), better known by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was a British author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman and photographer. ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Upper: Steel-plate engraving of Ruskin as a young man, made circa 1845?, scanned from print made circa 1895. ... The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets and critics, founded in 1848 by John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Holman Hunt. ... John Everett Millais (June 8, 1829–August 13, 1896) was a British painter and illustrator who was one of founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. ... A love triangle refers to a romantic relationship involving three people. ... A play is a common form of literature, usually consisting chiefly of dialog between characters, and usually intended for performance rather than reading. ... The foyer of Charles Garniers Opéra, Paris, opened 1875 Opera is an art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. ...

Relationship with Ruskin and Millais

Effie was born in Perth, Scotland. Her family knew Ruskin's father, who encouraged a match between them. In 1842 Ruskin wrote the fantasy novel The King of the Golden River for Effie. After their marriage they travelled to Venice where Ruskin was researching his book The Stones of Venice. However their different temperaments soon caused problems, with Effie coming to feel oppressed by Ruskin's dogmatic personality. When she met Millais five years later Effie was still a virgin, as Ruskin had persistently put off consummating the marriage. She became close to Millais when he accompanied the couple on a trip to Scotland in order to paint Ruskin's portrait according to the critic's artistic principles. She modelled for Millais' painting The Order of Release, in which she was depicted as the loyal wife of a Scottish rebel who has secured his release from prison. As Millais painted Effie they fell in love. Effie left Ruskin and she filed for an annulment, causing a major public scandal. In 1855, after her marriage to Ruskin was annulled, Effie and John Millais married. During the marriage she bore Millais eight children. She also modelled for a number of his works, notably Peace Concluded (1856), which idealises her as an icon of beauty and fertility. Location within the British Isles. ... The King of the Golden River or The Black Brothers: A Legend of Stiria by John Ruskin was originally written for the twelve year old Effie Gray in 1842, whom Ruskin later married. ... As a verb, consummate means to bring something to its completion, such as a transaction, concept, plan or action. ... Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

When Ruskin later became engaged to a teenage girl, Rose la Touche, Rose's concerned mother wrote to Effie, who replied by describing Ruskin as an oppressive husband. There is no reason to doubt Effie's sincerity, but her intervention broke up the engagement, probably contributing to Ruskin's later mental breakdown. Rose la Touche (Rose LaTouche, 1850-1875) was the major love in the life of John Ruskin. ...

Effie's influence on Millais

After his marriage, Millais began to paint in a broader style, which Ruskin condemned as a "catastrophe". Marriage had given him a large family to support, and it is claimed that Effie encouraged him to churn out popular works for financial gain and to maintain her busy social life. However, there is no evidence that Effie consciously pressured him to do so. Effie's journal indicates her high regard for her husband's art, and his works are still recognisably Pre-Raphaelite in style several years after his marriage. Whatever the cause, Millais eventually abandoned the Pre-Raphaelite obsession with detail and began to paint in a looser style which produced more paintings for the time and effort. Many were inspired by his family life with Effie, often using his children and grandchildren as models.

Later life

The annulment barred Effie from some social functions. She was not allowed in the presence of the queen, so if the queen was present at a party then Effie was not invited. Prior to the annulment, she had been socially very active and this really bothered her. Eventually, when Millais was dying, the queen relented, allowing Effie to attend a royal function.

Effie died a few months after her husband. She is buried in Kinnoul churchyard, Perth, which is depicted in Millais's painting The Vale of Rest.