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Instructed by Cromwell, the blind Milton dictates to Andrew Marvell a letter to the Duke of Savoy protesting against the persecution of the Vaudois (Waldenses) in the valleys of Piedmont in 1655. To the left of the picture is the blind poet, John Milton, who sits facing the spectator. Behind him is an elaborately carved organ. He wears a black gown, a brown jerkin with slashed sleeves and doublet, a white shirt with a large collar and cuffs, blue-green leggings and leather slippers. He sits with his left leg crossed over his right, his right index finger raised. His other hand is gesturing, as he dictates a letter. In the background, on the right, is a large, empty stone fireplace, decorated with a portcullis on one side and a fleur-de-lys on the other.
Title
Cromwell and the Vaudois (Cromwell, Protector of the Protestants of the Vaudois)
Date
1878
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 78.7 x W 96.5 cm
Accession number
NCM 1937-1
Acquisition method
purchased from the Fine Art Society, 1937
Work type
Painting