En af de kloge jomfruer 1841 - 1842

This relief was sculpted by H.W. Bissen. We see a maiden pouring oil from a vessel into a lamp, a symbol of vigilance and preparedness. This immediately brings to mind the parable of the wise virgins. Yet, this motif of pouring oil into a lamp is not confined to Christian allegory; it echoes through time. In ancient Greece, similar images were associated with rituals dedicated to deities, particularly those connected to the hearth and home, like Hestia, the goddess of domesticity. The act of tending to the flame was a sacred duty, a connection to the divine and an assertion of order against the encroaching darkness. Consider how the simple gesture of pouring has transformed. From ancient votive offerings, it reappears in biblical tales, each time imbued with new layers of meaning. Such continuous reuse of symbols speaks to a collective human desire to make sense of the unknown, using familiar visual cues to navigate complex emotions. The lamp, in this context, is a beacon of hope, a symbol of psychological resilience reminding us of the cyclical nature of light and darkness, knowledge and ignorance.