The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

c. 1560/1563

Philip Galle after Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Associated Names
Philip Galle

Artist, Netherlandish, 1537 - 1612

Hieronymus Cock

Publisher, Netherlandish, 1518 - 1570

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Artist After, Netherlandish, c. 1525/1530 - 1569

This drawing depicts an allegorical scene with figures and symbolic elements. The artwork has a complex composition, divided into distinct areas with various characters engaging in different activities. At the center, an angelic figure is positioned with a scroll, surrounded by clouds. Above, there are architectural elements resembling elaborate Gothic arches. To the left, a group of figures is involved in tasks related to work and craftsmanship. To the right, another group appears more idle, some in postures of dance or play. The overall composition suggests a narrative or moral story, potentially based on a biblical parable, with juxtaposition of virtuous labor against folly. The rendering and line work are characteristic of woodcuts or engravings, showcasing attention to detail and skilled use of shading to convey depth and texture, further enhanced by the intricate architectural elements and flowing drapery of the figures. The work conveys themes of moral duality and the dichotomy of virtue and vice, often explored during the period of its creation by artists like Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to plate): 22.3 × 28.9 cm (8 3/4 × 11 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1950.1.25

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. 147, State i/ii


Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1908

  • Bastelaer, Rene van. Les estampes de Peter Bruegel l'ancien. Brussels: G. van Oest et Cie, 1908.

1993

  • The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, 1450-1700. (Philips Galle, Manfred Sellink and Marjolein Leesberg, authors). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. 147, state i/ii.

Inscriptions

lower left in image: H. cock excu.; lower right in image: BRVEGEL. INV:; on stairs at upper right: Non noui vos (I know you not); on banderole at center: Ecce sponsus venit exit obviam ei. (Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him); lower center, in plate below image: DATE NOBIS DE OLEO VESTRO, QVIA LAMPADES NOSTRAE EXTINGVUN / TVR. / NEQVAQVAM, NEQVANDO NON SVFFICIAT NOBIS ET VOBIS math. 25 ([And the foolish said unto the wise,] Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. [But the wise answered, saying,] Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. [Matt. 25:8-9]) [translation from Nadine Orenstein, ed., Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Drawings and Prints. Exhibition catalogue. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001, p. 208.]

Wikidata ID

Q65087599

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