Portrait of Margaret Fuller Maitland 

In this portrait by John Everett Millais, we encounter Margaret Fuller Maitland, her gaze fixed with an almost unsettling intensity, capturing a moment of youthful contemplation. The color blue, dominating her dress, has long been associated with the Virgin Mary, embodying purity and serenity. Yet, here, it seems to hint at a deeper melancholic state. The landscape in the background, though bucolic, is shrouded in a muted palette, which amplifies the feeling of introspection. This evokes earlier Renaissance Madonnas in Italian paintings, where blue was charged with complex emotions, not just religious virtue. The girl’s direct stare harks back to ancient portraiture, a confrontation across time. Such a gaze is not merely a visual record but a powerful form of engagement. This symbol has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.