John Guille Millais

Born in Perth, Scotland, in 1865, John Guille Millais was a British artist, naturalist, gardener, and travel writer. He was the son of the painter Sir John Everett Millais and Effie Gray, but he made his own name through wildlife art and books shaped by close observation in the field.

After starting out in the Seaforth Highlanders, he left the army and travelled widely in Europe, Africa, and North America. His work became especially known for its precise illustrations and for books on birds, mammals, travel, and sport, including The Wildfowler in Scotland, Natural History of British Feeding Ducks, and Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland. He also wrote a biography of his father and helped record places and wildlife that were little known to many British readers of his time.

Millais spent much of his life bringing together art and natural history. He built a large bird collection, painted wildlife and flowers, and was active in conservation-minded circles, including as a co-founder of the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire. He died in Horsham, England, on March 24, 1931.