JOHN EVERETT MILLAIS, P.R.A. (SOUTHAMPTON 1829-1896 KENSINGTON)

The celebrated Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind, nicknamed 'The Swedish Nightingale ' (1820-1887) made her final London appearance on 10 May 1849, at Her Majesty's Theatre, London, in which she sang Alice in Meyerbeer's Robert Le Diable. She was a great favourite of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Millais, at this time a twenty year old student at the Royal Academy Schools, spent many evenings in London's theatres making drawings of personalities. Here, despite his focusing attention on members of the audience in their box at the theatre, the inclusion of the programme informs us of the important occasion. The director of Her Majesty's Theatre (and the man responsible for introducing Jenny Lind to British audiences) was Benjamin Lumley (1810-1875).