MEDIEVAL SCULPTOR, German
(active 1280-1300 in Strasbourg)

The King of the World and the Foolish Virgins

1280-1300
Stone
Cathedral, Strasbourg

The figures on the left portal on the west façade of the Strasbourg Cathedral represent the King of the World and the Foolish Virgins which together depict a scene in which the Foolish Virgins are tempted into sin.

While the apple held by the male figure and the oak leaves that run alongside him are highly naturalistic, his own body is highly artificial, with sharp, exaggerated features. Below on the socle are quatrefoils representing the labours of the months, from January feasting to Maytime flower-picking.