Order of Release 1746, 1852
London, England
In this painting a wife is releasing her husband, a Scottish rebel, from jail. It is hinted in the wife's face that she has prostituted herself in order to free her husband. Her bare feet also emphasize this; in Medieval times, bare feet was a sign of an immoral sexual encounter.
Effie was the model for the wife and held up well to Millais' exhausting schedule from just after breakfast to nightfall. She was criticized by some of her friends and family for modeling for Millais. It was not appropriate for a "Lady" to do such things. Effie felt that the subject of the painting justified her actions.
