Between 1839 - 1841, Millais succeeded in winning a prize in each category of the annual Society of Arts competition for young artists. The categories were: a chalk drawing from the antique, a subject composition in pencil and the same in sepia. News of the Defeat of the Royalists(02/266), 'an historical composition in sepia', won Millais the RSA 'silver palette' in 1841.

Encouraged by this success, Millais went on to enter competitions run by the Art Union of London. In 1842-3 the competition was for ten outline drawings illustrating a theme from English history or literature. Millais did not win in this case but he did produce a series of sixteen Anglo-Saxon scenes some of which he developed into paintings. The RA collection holds two preparatory drawings related to this series - studies for Elgiva and for Non Sed Angli Sed Angeli. Millais later entered the Association for the Promotion of Fine Arts in Scotland drawing competition in 1847 and won second place.

A number of other drawings in the Royal Academy collection are possibly connected with Millais's competition entries, including the painstakingly drawn 'Woman Presenting a Petition to a Cavalier', 'Battle Scene' and 'Othello'.

All objects in this group