tired, was in a ruined suit with holes in the pants and patches on the sleeves. His wife’s dress could not compare to the wonderful dresses of the upper class women. The kids, with unhappiness written on their faces, were cloaked in rags that were too large for their tiny bodies. Frith, thus, did a great job in portraying the lower class as well. The main decorative element, the rich and poor families, was organized to go along with the theme- social stratification- of the masterpiece. First, the aristocracy was placed along the right side. They extended from the stairs of the church to the balcony. And as one follows their eye-lines across the painting, one comes across the humble lower class family that is located on the lower left corner- completely separate from the rich. This, too, expresses the gap that is between the classes. On top of this separation, the actions of the snooty aristocrats display their disgust toward the meek family. Kids and women upon the stairs are chucking shoes in the direction of the humble family. Frith, therefore, projected the theme of For Better of For Worse with his use of organization of families and formal and informal dress of the poor and rich. John Everett Millais was a Victorian artist who was renowned for his oil paintings. For the painting’s time, he expressed and emphasized the feelings of the young woman and the elder man through body positions, lighting, and wardrobe. Millais positioned their bodies to imply that a secret is being kept. The woman’s hands are behind her back and are gripping a sealed envelope. The elder man seems to be forcing himself toward her because of the forward thrusting of his torso. But there is no real sign of physical conflict; their facial expressions remain nonchalant during the confrontation. Additionally, the wardrobe gives the viewer a good idea of the time period and style. The woman is wearing a traditional red dress wit...
