The Prisoner’s Wife – Sketch of the Wife confronting Judge 1853 - 1854

Sir John Everett Millais created this sketch, The Prisoner’s Wife, using graphite and watercolor. The wife’s reaching arms towards a figure of authority, presumably the judge, speak to a timeless motif of supplication and desperate appeal. Consider how this outstretched hand echoes through art history—from the pleading gestures in ancient Roman reliefs to the entreaties of figures in Renaissance paintings. These are all attempts to change fate. The symbol of the dog is also prominent in this sketch. Throughout art history, dogs often symbolize loyalty, vigilance, and companionship. Here, the dog perhaps embodies the unwavering fidelity of the wife to her imprisoned husband. We can even trace this motif back to ancient Egyptian art, where dogs were revered for their protective qualities. The emotional tension captured in this image is intense. The wife’s desperation transcends the immediate scene, engaging us on a primal, subconscious level. It’s this recurring cycle of human experience, the interplay between hope and despair, that gives this sketch its enduring power. These symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.