Original pencil drawing ‘A Jockey’ by Raoul Millais 1900-1999. c.1950. Provenance; Purchased directly from the artist.

The grandson of the famous Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir John Everett Millais P.R.A., and son of the artist and naturalist John Guille Millais.

He was educated at Winchester college (1914-18), and then went on to study fine art at the Byam Shaw school. He studied anatomy, both human and animal, under Frank Calderon, spending a great deal of time drawing the animals at London zoo. He then went on to the Royal Academy schools. His fellow students at this time were John Skeaping and the Zinkeisen sisters.

In 1925 he married and went to live in Beaufort Hunt country. He began to undertake commissions to paint the Masters of Hounds, their families and horses, and later, the famous winning racehorses of the time, including “Big Game” and “Sun Chariot” for George VI, and “Colonist” for Winston Churchill.  He also painted “the Queen arriving at Ascot, 1977”,  which is now in the Royal collection.

During the 2^nd world war, Millais served in the scots guards, and was invalided out in 1945. From 1947 onwards he lived in the Cotswolds, where he continued to paint his horse subjects and elegant interiors into extreme old age.

This drawing was purchased by me from Raoul in his studio

Picture size; 31 cm x 25 cm