The Order of Release

This picture shows the release of a Jacobite soldier, imprisoned by the English after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army at the battle of Culloden in 1746. The Jacobite’s wife hands an order of release to the gaoler. Millais based the figure of the woman on his wife, Effie. He was very interested in female psychology and the woman’s detached gaze suggests her quiet determination. [source]