As autumn leaves fall, I am searching for art to express the warm colors and crisp evenings. This youthful purity from an era gone by has captured my eye. From the Masterpieces by Nimbus Pre-Raphaelites collection, Autumn Leaves (1856) is a painting by John Everett Millais, It displays stunningly in portrait orientation on my digital Nimbus Frame.
John Everett Millais (1829-1896) was an English painter and illustrator. He was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of 7 members with shared principles intending to reform art that they felt had b
ecome corrupted by Raphael and other influences. Much of his work is very detailed with symbolic features that portrayed poetry, literature, and history. Autumn leaves is a later work and may have been influenced by the poetry of Tennyson, according to Malcolm Warner, an English art historian, and curator who lives in the United States. It was described by the critic John Ruskin as “the first instance of a perfectly painted twilight.”
Noteworthy for the symbolism is the girl’s attire which speaks to middle and working class warmth in 1800 England. The lighting at dusk lends to a crisp autumn evening. The tendrils of smoke from the leaves add warmth and activity to the scene. Even the apple in the young girl’s hand implies an autumn harvest. I love the warm colors of autumn.
Celebrate the autumn air and pile some leaves for childhood fun! Enjoy the warm colors and evening flare. Explore more Masterpieces by Nimbus at www.nimbusframe.com.
