Thomas Combe (1796–1872)

Millais's portrait of Thomas Combe of 1850 depicts one of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's most important patrons, the head of the Oxford University Press and a fervent High Church Anglican whose religious convictions made him sympathetic to the Brotherhood's spiritual seriousness. Combe and his wife Martha became devoted supporters of Millais, Holman Hunt, and Charles Collins, collecting their works and providing moral and financial support during the Brotherhood's controversial early years. The portrait demonstrates Millais's ability to render the complex personality of an older man with respectful psychological insight.

The Pre-Raphaelite precision of the portrait creates a vivid, unidealized likeness of the businessman and patron. The bright natural light and meticulous attention to detail demonstrate the Brotherhood's approach to portraiture.