Louise Jane Jopling (née Goode, later Rowe)
- Artist: Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Bt
- Date: 1879
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 48 7/8 in. x 30 1/8 in. (1240 mm x 765 mm) overall
- Portrays: Louise Jane Jopling (née Goode, later Rowe)
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is a portrait of Louise Jane Jopling, the celebrated British painter of the 19th century. In front of her face you’ll notice the subtle shift in expression that she called “the defiant look.” That day, after five quick sittings in John Everett Millais’s studio at Palace Gate, he captured the moment when she relaxed her gaze and smiled slightly.
Her attire is a striking black dress with embroidered coloured flowers, a design she had admired from Paris. The background hints at flowers and plants, adding a gentle touch of colour without distracting from Jopling’s face. Millais was famous for his fluid brushwork; in this work you can see the smooth layering that creates depth while keeping the sitter's features clear.
Jopling was not just a subject but an active friend of Millais, who painted her portrait for her husband, Joseph Jopling. The painting exemplifies their mutual artistic respect and shows how collaboration could yield a lively snapshot in oil on canvas from 1879.
See it in person
Louise Jane Jopling (née Goode, later Rowe) is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
