Female – Sketches of a Girl holding her Skirt 1856

Sir John Everett Millais created this pencil sketch titled 'Female – Sketches of a Girl holding her Skirt' sometime during the mid-19th century. The image presents a glimpse into the social conventions of Victorian England. The girl's modest posture, with her gaze averted and her hand gently holding her skirt, embodies the era's emphasis on female propriety and decorum. Millais, associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, was concerned with the aesthetic and moral reforms of British art at the time. Consider the institutional context: art schools and academies played a pivotal role in shaping artistic norms. Sketches like this were often exercises in mastering form and proportion, while simultaneously reinforcing cultural ideals. To fully appreciate this work, one might consult Victorian etiquette manuals, art historical texts on the Pre-Raphaelites, or social histories of gender roles. Art provides a fascinating entry point into understanding the values and structures of a society.