Brits of the Victorian age went to church. They also brought their children to church, so they could listen to inspiring sermons. Very much a part of his age, artist John Edward Millais (1829–1996) and his family attended church services.
In 1863, he brought his 5-year-old daughter Effie to her first church service. Artist that he was, he captured this in his painting “My First Sermon,” which met with great success. His son, John Guille Millais, notes: “This little picture of Effie was extremely popular.”
In the painting Effie sits bolt upright and attentive in a cubicle, her feet on a stool and her hands in a muff, eagerly awaiting what would happen. Her hat sports a feather. Her red cape drapes around her body, with yellow gloves set to the side. The red of the coat and stockings attracts the eye against the darker green of the bench….