The Marriage Feast (The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ)

Art Historical Context

Created in 1864, *The Marriage Feast* is a wood-engraved proof from the illustrated book *The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ*. Designed by Sir John Everett Millais and engraved by the Dalziel Brothers, it depicts one of Christ’s well-known parables in a compact yet richly detailed composition. Millais, a leading figure of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, brought his characteristic attention to expressive figures and narrative clarity to the project, while the Dalziel firm translated his drawings into the precise lines of wood engraving. This print exemplifies the fruitful partnership between Victorian artists and skilled engravers, allowing complex biblical imagery to reach wide audiences through affordable illustrated books. As a proof impression, it offers a glimpse into the careful printing process that ensured tonal subtlety and fine detail. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Drawings and Prints, the work continues to invite viewers to reflect on themes of invitation, community, and spiritual readiness conveyed through Millais’s evocative storytelling.

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