Female – Two Sketches of a Young Woman holding a Book 1855 - 1865

Editor: So this is Sir John Everett Millais' "Female – Two Sketches of a Young Woman holding a Book," created sometime between 1855 and 1865 using pencil on paper. The rapid, almost ghostly quality makes me think about the fleeting nature of inspiration. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: I'm drawn to the doubling of the figure, and that isolated face hovering at the upper left. It evokes a sense of fragmented identity, doesn’t it? The book acts as a focal point, almost like a mirror reflecting different facets of the same person. Perhaps Millais is hinting at the inner life of the female intellectual, the multiple selves one embodies through reading and learning. How do you interpret the prominence of the book? Editor: I see the book as representing knowledge and empowerment, a symbol of the woman's intellectual curiosity. Maybe the different sketches are Millais exploring her potential, or her various possible roles. Curator: Precisely! Think about the context of Victorian society. For women, literacy and access to education were becoming increasingly important, but also contested. The book, then, carries a significant cultural weight. Do you see a contrast between the delicacy of the lines and the power that book might represent? Editor: Absolutely! There's a tension there. The light sketch seems almost vulnerable, while the book grounds her, giving her agency. The swift, unlabored sketch communicates immediacy, making us privy to Millais’s evolving thought process. Curator: A sketchbook indeed lets us witness the germination of an idea. Considering these symbols, what lingers with you most from this sketch? Editor: Definitely the feeling that I'm seeing the artist think. That the creative process isn't always linear. Thank you!