Why it matters
A fireman rescues three children from a house fire, and their mother receives them back into her arms. Millais had witnessed the death of a fireman during a rescue and used coloured glass and burning planks to study the light and smoke.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1855.
- Fire brigades had recently become public services protecting life first.
- Its emphasis on fleeting light and colour was new in his art.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Rescue (painting) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
