The Five Foolish Virgins Sleeping c. 1860

Editor: Here we have Johann Friedrich Overbeck's "The Five Foolish Virgins Sleeping" from the Harvard Art Museums. It’s quite a tender image. What societal context informs Overbeck's depiction of these women? Curator: Overbeck was part of the Nazarenes, a group reacting against academic art by reviving spiritual and nationalistic themes. How might contemporary viewers interpret this scene of female vulnerability and moral failing, given the societal expectations placed on women? Editor: That's interesting. So, it's about societal expectations but told through religious narrative? Curator: Precisely. The political potency of religious imagery lies in its ability to reinforce or challenge the status quo. Editor: I see how Overbeck uses history to make a statement about the present. Curator: Indeed, art often acts as a mirror reflecting the values and anxieties of its time.