Well, we find ourselves at the conclusion of Women’s History Month again! I would like to thank everyone for celebrating this month with me- I know that not everyone has it in October like we do in Canada, but I think it is immensely important to highlight women’s history. And to honour the month, all of the books that I read were written by women.
I’ve been eyeing up this biography for years, and I’m so glad that I was able to read it. Effie by Suzanne Fagence Cooper explores the life of the woman at the heart of a Victorian scandal and is a must-read!
Effie: The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, John Ruskin and John Everett Millais, Suzanne Fagence Cooper
The scandalous love triangle at the heart of the Victorian art world. Effie Gray, a Scottish beauty, was the heroine of a great Victorian love story. Married at nineteen to John Ruskin, she found herself trapped in a loveless and unconsummated union. When her husband invited his protégé John Everett Millais away on holiday, she and Millais fell in love. Effie would inspire some of Millais’s most haunting images, and embody Victorian society’s fears about female sexuality.
Effie risked everything by leaving Ruskin. She hoped to find fulfilment as Millais’s wife, becoming a society hostess and manager of his studio, but controversy and tragedy continued to stalk her. Suzanne Fagence Cooper has gained exclusive access to Effie’s family letters and diaries to reveal the reality behind the scandalous love-triangle. She shows the rise and fall of the Pre-Raphaelite circle from a new perspective, through the eyes of a woman who was intimately involved in the private and public lives of its two greatest figures. Effie’s charm and ambition helped to shape the careers of both her husbands. Effie is a compelling portrait of the extraordinary woman behind some of the most famous Pre-Raphaelite paintings.
Why You Should Read This…
I had the incredible luck of discovering the BBC miniseries, Desperate Romantics, about a week before I studied the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in an English course. And after that combo, I’ve been fascinated by the whole group ever since, particularly the associated women.
Effie Gray rather gets shoved to the side of the story- the “battle” between Ruskin and Millais is typically centre stage while she is hovering at the wings. And this book rightfully changes that. Fagence Cooper’s dedicated research into Effie’s life uncovers countless layers, and is a must read for anyone interested in women’s history or art history.
Fagence Cooper does not downplay Effie’s marriages, as they are important in her story. However, she centres Effie in the telling- we get to know the whole Ruskin family, and Millais and his social circle, but Effie remains in the spotlight. (I don’t know how many biographies of women I’ve read where this is not true- this is important!)
I also loved that she spent quite a bit of time focusing on how Effie influenced Millais’ career. As you will find out if you read Effie, Millais’ career trajectory ended up being fairly commercial and many of his contemporaries (and later art historians) were critical of that. However, that does not mean that Effie’s work and support to help him is no small thing. The work also stands out within the women in the circle of the PRB, as they all held very different roles. (Not better or worse than the others, but simply different.) It is so important that these women’s stories are told, and that we are reading the books written about them!
Is Effie by Suzanna Fagence Cooper on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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