The Foolish Virgins (The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ)

Art Historical Context

**The Foolish Virgins a wood engraving proof from1864, captures a pivotal moment from one of Jesus Christ's parables in the Gospel of Matthew (25:-13). Designed by Pre-Raphaelite master Sir John Everett Millais masterfully engraved by the Dalziel Brothers it depicts the biblical story of the ten virgins awaiting the bridegroom, with the foolish five scrambling desperately for oil as midnight strikes. Millais's intricate composition, rendered in fine black lines on a modest 5½ × 4¼-inch image, evokes the parable's themes of preparedness and spiritual vigilance, making profound moral lessons accessible through visual storytelling. This proof hails from the Dalziel Brothers' ambitious series *The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ*, a landmark in Victorian religious illustration. Wood engraving, a technique using hardened end-grain blocks for exceptional detail, allowed Millais's naturalistic Pre-Raphaelite style—known for vivid realism and symbolic depth—to shine in affordable book prints. The Dalziels, renowned engravers, collaborated with top artists to democratize high art during the 19th century's print boom. Acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1921 and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this proof exemplifies the era's fusion of faith, artistry, and technology. It invites visitors to ponder timeless wisdom while appreciating the engravers' precision, a testament to how prints bridged elite painting and everyday devotion.

About the Artist

Dalziel Brothers|Sir John Everett Millais (British|British) · 1839 |1823 –1893 |1906

British, active 1839–93|British, Wooler, Northumberland 1823–1906 Herne Bay, Kent