The Parable of the wise and foolish Virgins, ca. 1560 – ca. 1563

About the Work

The angel standing on a band of clouds at the centre calls upon the people to come to Christ. Yet the door opens only for those prudent virgins who have performed their housework diligently, as depicted in the scene at the lower left. The foolish virgins at the lower right, on the other hand, have squandered away their time with dancing and gaiety and find access blocked. A theme already popular in the Middle Ages, Bruegel retells it here, embedding it in his own era with the depictions in the bottom half.