Suzanne Fagence Cooper

A very poorly written book on a potentially interesting subject. Cooper’s approach to her primary source—-the correspondence of the Gray, Ruskin, and Millais families—-reminds me of an undergraduate essay: paraphrase and appreciation. Her style is also that of an undergraduate essay, full of anachronistic vocabulary like “teen-ager” and “weekend” and sentences like “Effie no longer had time to travel for fun,” and “[Ruskin] was judged in his absence to be permanently impotent. But there had never been any hard proof to support this verdict.” The social context of the subjects’ lives is discussed in superficial asides. The discussion of Millais’ artwork is somewhat more analytic; the author was apparently a curator and research fellow at the V&A. But as a biography this is a painful contrast to Mary Lutyens’ edited and annotated selection of Effie’s letters “Young Mrs Ruskin in Venice.”… (mais)

This is an utterly fascinating book, not only regarding the sexless marriage of John Ruskin and Effie Gray, but most importantly the social roles of women in Victorian age.

John Ruskin wanted to marry the much younger Effie Gray. He toyed and played games regarding his commitment and possible love of Effie. Finally, he tried to put aside his penchant for little girls, but continued to allowed his parents to rule his life and marriage.

Ruskin was the foremost art critic of his time. Well admired and an opinion that mattered greatly in the art world. He gradually grew to like and admire the art of the Pre Raphaelite painters, of which handsome, intelligent and accomplished Millais was well respected.

He solidified his role in the Pre Raphaelite world by painting one of the most respected works of Ophelia.

Effie Gray was a mere 19 years old when she married Ruskin, a much older dapper man. On the night of her honeymoon, there was no intimacy. Through the years, this continued. Despite her attempts to woe him, she was told that her body abhorred him and brought no desire to touch her.

In the Victorian courts, it was exceedingly difficult for a woman to seek and win a divorce. With her parents assistance, she fought the courts and gradually won a split from Ruskin on the grounds of impotence.

A man who was attached to his parents, loving only his mommy, the divorce brought scandal to Ruskin.

Ruskin admired the works of Millais, and during a summer vacation to Scotland, Effie's home of origin, he asked Millais to paint him. This too became one of the famous paintings of Millais.

The three shared a small house, and while Millias left them behind most of the day, Effie and Millais grew to admire and love each other. Sensing her extreme unhappiness, Effie disclosed hers was a seven year marriage with no intimacy.

This is a fascinating look of Victorian mores and rules. Effie did win a divorce, and she and Millias married and produced eight children.

If you, like me admire the works of the Pre Raphelites, this is a must read.… (mais)

This was really interesting. So much to think about - women's roles in Victorian England, the staggering size of families and surrounding issues, the marriage market, the social production of art, etc etc. Such a special time and a great choice of subject to get into it all: She was right in the thick of it, and an outsider simultaneously. Euphamia "Effie" Gray is a fascinating character, strong and quite sure of what she wants. Her first marriage could absolutely have destroyed a weaker woman. There were quite sympathetic portrayals of most of the people mentioned, with attempts to explain their actions and speculation into their thought processes. Importantly, they felt alive, and I got an impression of their humanity. The controversy surrounding John Everett Millais "selling out" is covered, and seemed quite fair to me (with an obvious explanation for why you wouldn't trust John Ruskin's judgement on this matter).

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in the social side of art history, and especially the Pre-Raphaelites. It's not an art book, so lacks the large detailed prints you would want if you were looking for information on techniques etc. It's also a fascinating snapshot of a special time in English history. It's definitely piqued my interested in both Pre-Raphaelites (Millais specifically) and Victorian women. I'm hungry for more.

I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars because I found the families quite confusing (needed more of a guide to that, though there is a family tree at the back of the book which I discovered too late), and the same with the dates. A kind of basic timeline might have helped. I like the way it's written but would also have loved to see some unedited letters, maybe with original handwriting (especially the criss-cross ones her mum wrote).… (mais)

Pretty interesting biography of the wife of John Ruskin; perhaps the first section on their doomed marriage is the most compulsive part. Ruskin remains a total enigma- genius in the art world, a man who liked his own company, liked living with his parents, liked little girls but not women : just why did he saddle himself with a wife? As the (much younger) Effie, ignored and untouched by her husband, takes to socializing, she faces the increasing unpleasantness of Ruskin and his doting parents. And as a growing friendship develops with her husband's protégé, artist John Millais, separation is on the cards.

The scandal in Victorian England of divorce following this 'non-marriage' (much public censure, particularly of Effie); and the subsequent life with Millais takes up the rest of the volume. Effie remained close all her life to her family in Scotland, and they, too, form a large part of the narrative, notably her sister - mentally ill and anorexic. Effie and Millais went on to have eight children, who also brought their issues (and who seem to have been shunted off a lot to their maternal grandparents). And all the time Millais' reputation in the art world grew...
Very readable.… (mais)