Sir John Everett Millais, Bt

The Leaven

published 1864

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment
Artist
Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829–1896
Medium
Wood engraving on paper
Dimensions
Image: 140 x 108 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Presented by Gilbert Dalziel 1924
Reference
A00796

Display caption

This image illustrates the parable of the leaven from Matthew’s gospel: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened’. In the background Millais shows a young girl standing in front of the oven holding a loaf of bread. She watches as the woman kneads the dough and mixes in the leaven (yeast).

The skills of the Dalziel brothers’ engravers are demonstrated by the effects of light from the window flooding into the dark interior and casting a shadow on the floor.

Gallery label, July 2008

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