Robert Rankin

This portrait of Robert Rankin, painted in 1889, belongs to Millais's extensive late portrait production, when his reputation as the pre-eminent portraitist in Britain brought him a large number of prominent sitters from business, politics, and the professions. Robert Rankin was a Liverpool merchant and businessman, and his commissioning of a portrait from Millais represents both the ambition of the Victorian commercial elite and Millais's exceptional standing as a portrait painter at this stage of his career. The portrait is held at Leighton House rather than in a Liverpool institution, which is somewhat unusual for a Liverpool businessman's portrait — it may have come to the collection through different channels. By 1889 Millais was sixty, a baronet, and had been President of the Royal Academy since 1896; his portrait commissions commanded very high fees and attracted sitters from across the British Establishment.

Late Millais portraits are characterised by broad, fluent brushwork and a warm tonal harmony that flatters sitters without sacrificing likeness. The face is modelled with care and accuracy while the clothing and background are handled more freely, maintaining visual hierarchy. The overall impression is of assured, rapid execution by a painter who had spent decades mastering the art of making distinguished men look distinguished.