Millais painting of child actor spotted on stage by his daughters to be displayed in Scottish house

She was a child actress appearing on stage at a London theatre when she was spotted by the daughters of a well-known artist looking for potential portrait subjects.

Now a lesser-known artwork created by Sir John Everett Millais of young actor Beatrice Buckstone is to go on display in a Scottish country house.

Sweetest Eyes Were Ever Seen, by pre-Raphaelite artist Sir John Everett Millais, will go on display at Duff House in Aberdeenshire in the latest in a series of paintings to be loaned from the National Galleries of Scotland to the property, managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

In a biography of the artist, Millais’ son, John Guille Millais recalled his father’s chance meeting with the “new and most charming model” Miss Buckstone in 1880 after she was spotted by his daughters on a visit to St James Theatre in London.

He wrote: “With the consent of her parents (for she was then but a child of 12 or 13) she sat for the three pictures, Cinderella, Caller Herrin and Sweetest Eyes Were Ever Seen.”

The portrait was first exhibited in 1881 at the Grosvenor Gallery, which was the principal London venue for the display of modern avant-garde British art. Its title is a quotation from Catarina to Camões by the Victorian poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning and was chosen by Millais after discarding his original title, A Girl with Violets.

Technicians hang Sir John Everett Millais painting Sweetest Eyes That Were Ever Seen at Duff House. | NGS

An English artist and one of the founders of the influential pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, Millais is best known for his paintings during his Pre-Raphaelite era, such as Christ in the House of His Parents and Ophelia, but he moved away from the movement’s distinctive style as he grew more confident as an artist.

His relationship with his Scottish wife Effie Gray and her former husband and art critic John Ruskin has been dramatised several times for stage and screen.

Aidan Weston-Lewis, chief curator of European, Scottish art and portraiture at the National Galleries of Scotland said: “We’re thrilled to share Sweetest eyes were ever seen with visitors to Duff House. Millais’s captivating portrait of the young actress Beatrice Buckstone demonstrates his legendary technical skill and offers visitors an opportunity to discover a lesser-known work by one of the founding members of the pioneering Pre-Raphaelite movement.

“Through our continuing partnership with Duff House, we hope more people across the country can experience their national art collection and enjoy these outstanding artworks in inspiring new settings. We hope this beautiful painting will capture the imagination of everyone who sees it."

Graeme Curran, collections manager for Duff House at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “We’re delighted another fascinating artwork will be displayed at Duff House as part of our ongoing partnership with the National Galleries of Scotland. Sir John Everett Millais was no stranger to Scotland, with his wife Effie hailing from Perth where they would often holiday together, so there’s something special about welcoming this work into an iconic Scottish heritage site and continuing the artist’s connection with this country.

“Millais remains one of Britain’s most significant artists, and it's exciting to welcome visitors to explore Duff House and see this remarkable work for themselves.”

The painting will be open to view at Duff House on selected dates from Friday 2 October 2026 to Sunday 26 September 2027.