The Unjust Judge and the Importunate Widow (The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ)
It took Millais seven years to design twenty images inspired by New Testament Parables for the Dalziel Brothers, and the resulting prints are considered pinnacles of wood engraved illustration. The artist wrote to his publishers, "I can do ordinary drawings as quickly as most men, but these designs can scarcely be regarded in the same light—each Parable I illustrate perhaps a dozen times before I fix [the image]." After completing a design, Millais transferred it to a woodblock coated with Chinese white for skilled engravers to carve. Finally, he reviewed proofs and final adjustments were made before the final printing.
The Parable of the Unjust Judge and Importunate Widow appears in Luke:18:1-8, and tells how an unprincipled official eventually granted a poor widow justice because of her persistence. Pre-Raphaelite ideals shaped the combination of detailed naturalism and down-to-earth imagery to produce a work distinctly different than most religious art of the period.
The Parable of the Unjust Judge and Importunate Widow appears in Luke:18:1-8, and tells how an unprincipled official eventually granted a poor widow justice because of her persistence. Pre-Raphaelite ideals shaped the combination of detailed naturalism and down-to-earth imagery to produce a work distinctly different than most religious art of the period.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Unjust Judge and the Importunate Widow (The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ)
- Artist: After Sir John Everett Millais (British, Southampton 1829–1896 London)
- Engraver: Engraved and printed by Dalziel Brothers (British, active 1839–93)
- Date: 1864
- Medium: Wood engraving; proof
- Dimensions: image: 5 1/2 x 4 5/16 in. (13.9 x 10.9 cm)
sheet: 7 5/16 x 6 1/16 in. (18.6 x 15.4 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1921
- Object Number: 21.68.4(18)
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.