These drawings relate to Millais's first major commission, a set of six painted lunettes to decorate the hall of John Atkinson's house in Leeds (now No. 3 Hyde Terrace). Millais worked on this project during the summer of 1847 and possibly 1848. The subjects chosen for four of the lunettes represent the 'Ages of Man' - Childhood, Youth, Manhood, Old Age - while the remaining two represented Music and Art.

Millais worked on this commission prior to the foundation of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. However, these pen and ink drawings indicate that he was already experimenting with the angular, stylised forms and compositions which characterise his 'Pre-Raphaelite' drawings.

The painted lunettes are now in Leeds City Art Gallery and there are further preparatory drawings in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow.

All objects in this group