“The Black Brunswicker” is an oil-on-canvas painting completed by John Everett Millais in the year 1860. It is a notable work within the Romanticism movement, classified as a genre painting. This artwork, which measures 66 x 99 cm, is currently housed in the Lady Lever Art Gallery located in Port Sunlight, UK.
The artwork depicts a poignant scene, characterized by its emotional depth and attention to detail. A young soldier, dressed in the dark, ornate uniform of the Black Brunswickers, stands intimately close to a woman in a white satin dress adorned with a bright red ribbon. The woman leans against a wooden door, her expression a mixture of sadness and longing, while the soldier tenderly holds her hand and gazes at her with affection. The backdrop features an elaborate green wallpaper, adding to the lush atmosphere of the scene, and a framed picture of a mounted soldier in the background underscores the military theme. Additionally, a small black dog with a matching red bow is present at the soldier’s feet, further enhancing the sense of domestic warmth and emotional complexity in the artwork.
