John Everett Millais: India Proofs of his Twenty Pictures from The Parables of our Lord, and Twenty Autograph Letters from him to the Brothers Dalziel
After Sir John Everett Millais British
Plates engraved and printed 1864 by Dalziel Brothers British
Issued privately by Charles Dalziel from the Camden Press British
Not on view
It took Millais seven years to design twenty images inspired by New Testament Parables for the Dalziel Brothers, and the resulting prints are considered pinnacles of both illustration and wood engraving. The artist wrote to his publishers, "I can do ordinary drawings as quickly as most men, but these designs can scarcely be regarded in the same light—each Parable I illustrate perhaps a dozen times before I fix [the final image]." After completing a design, Millais transferred it to a woodblock coated with Chinese white for skilled engravers to carve. Finally, he reviewed proofs so final adjustments could be made before the final printing. Pre-Raphaelite ideals shaped the combination of down-to-earth imagery and detailed naturalism. The parables, found in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, use simple narratives to teach deep spiritual truths, and Millais’s images operate in a similar way. This volume contains text only—since the prints have been removed and matted individually.
