밀레이가 그려낸 ‘처음’의 설렘과 소중함

Britain was ruled by Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. At that time, the British felt it was their duty to go to church, and many of them took their children to church to listen to the sermon and get inspired. John Everett Millay, a British painter who lived in the Victorian era, attended church worship with his children and family. Millay's work, My First Sermon, is a painting of the first time he took his 5-year-old daughter, Eppie, to church worship. In the painting, Eppie does not touch her feet on the floor, so she puts her feet neatly on the floor, puts her hands in a warm air-conditioned muff, straightens her back, sits upright on a chair, and worships with her eyes full of anticipation of what will happen. The red cape she is wearing and the stocking for the room contrast with the dark green bench, which draws her attention even more. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley, who saw the painting, said, Art must complete high and noble tasks. When we sympathize with the joy and sadness of our neighbors, who are faithfully depicted in the canvas, and have the right attitude, we feel better and happier. Through this painting, our souls are moved by purity and innocence, and we can feel reverence from art. Through this beautiful work, many people were moved, and the artist Millay and the model Eppie also gained fame. A year later, Millay drew a sequel to the title, My Second Sermon. This work, which depicts the daughter who attended the church service again, is very different from the first work. Eppie, who has lost her curiosity and excitement about attending the church service, is taking a different position from before. Her feet are lying on the side of the foothold, leaning on the wall, enjoying a sweet nap, and she also took off her hat and put it next to her. Eppie chose to take a nap, not to concentrate on a boring and long sermon. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who saw the second work, warned about the harm of a long sermon and a drowsy discussion. In other words, the sermon should be short and focused. In particular, the sermon aimed at children should be shorter and clearer. What Millay liked most about the painting was his family and children. He observed them closely every day and was familiar with them, so he could describe them more comfortably in the canvas. And when he drew the children, he poured all his heart and strength to complete the painting. In the face of a pure and beautiful child, he sensed a beautiful soul. He captured what to learn from the sweet faces and purity of the children and expressed it in a painting. In the first sermon, we were deeply moved by the purity of Eppie's face and posture, full of tension and excitement, and then we look back at the attitude and attitude towards life.