Abstract

This contribution examines a number of illustrations of Matthew’s parable (25:1-13), from Early Christian to International Gothic, focusing in particular on the way in which the difference between the wise and the foolish was rendered manifest in the appearance of the maidens. From the very beginning, in fact, exegetes made it clear that there was no substantial difference between the virgins, the difference was only internal. However, they soon began to attribute different characters to the representatives of the two groups. The varying degrees and modes of differentiation from an iconographic point of view deserve to be investigated not only as evidence of adherence to one of the different lines of interpretation but also as revealing signs of the cultural, social and religious context in which the works were produced, without neglecting the possible contribution of the repertoire of models of the artists