Sir John Everett Millais, Bt

The Hidden Treasure

published 1864

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

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Artist
Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829–1896
Part of
Illustrations to ‘The Parables of Our Lord’, engraved by the Dalziel Brothers
Medium
Wood engraving on paper
Dimensions
Image: 140 × 108 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Presented by Gilbert Dalziel 1924
Reference
A00810

Display caption

In December 1859 Millais wrote to Dalziel: ‘I have finished the Finding of the Treasure, & I will set about another immediately ... There is more white used in the last than I like but although comparatively simple its design bothered me a great deal’. Millais later wrote that he had to alter this design on the wood six times in order to achieve the level of detail he required.

This parable from Matthew opens: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field’.

Gallery label, November 2004

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