Sir John Everett Millais, Bt

The Lost Sheep

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
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
A00792

Display caption

The parable of the lost sheep, told in Luke’s gospel, describes a shepherd who looks after a flock of a hundred sheep. As he counts them one night, he discovers that one is missing and goes out to look for it. Millais shows the shepherd having successfully found the stray sheep, which rests on his shoulders.

The parable concludes when the shepherd returns home and ‘calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost’.

Gallery label, November 2004

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