GOTHIC SCULPTOR, German
(active c. 1240-1250)

Wise Virgins

c. 1245
Stone
Cathedral, Magdeburg

The figures are on the Paradise Portal. The Wise Virgins and the Fool Virgins were intended not for the existing door but for a Last Judgement Portal, possibly a French type portal. The style of these figures are unmistakably German. The sculptor made an attempt to register suitable expressions of joy and despair; yet the desire to impress the spectator resulted in something very close to grotesque.