The Brigham Young University Art Museum presents magnificent works of art from around the world, showcasing artists new and old in an effort to showcase the beauty of artistic experience. A special exhibition titled Magnifying the Lord: Six Centuries of Art and Devotion contains more than 75 paintings, all with the mission of "celebrating the Lord through depictions of his life and mission, as well as presenting other examples of Christian faithfulness such as saints and Christians.” prophets, whose examples and teachings oriented the faithful towards Christ” (To Magnify). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay My impression of this event was that it fully achieved the goal of honoring the Lord Jesus Christ through the various depictions of his life, teachings and associates. Deep, reverent emotion permeated the exhibit as viewers reflected and grew closer to Christ. A painting from 1856 caught my eye, a work called The Wise and Foolish Virgin by Julius Rotermund. The aspect of the event that I will focus on is what this painting teaches us about being ready to greet the Lord. A unique but important theme I would like to explore is the theme of preparation shown in this chart. Specifically, I will examine the symbols and lines used in association with the two virgins to show how Rotermund depicts those who are prepared and those who are not. I chose this direction because I think this theme is the most imperative in the parable and the elements used in the painting are truly beautiful. To give an overview of the parable itself, a group of ten virgins, who represent humanity, await the arrival of the bridegroom, who represents Christ. The ten virgins all have lamps in which they are supposed to keep oil, so that when the bridegroom arrives, they can follow him and participate in the marriage. However, when the groom arrives, five of the ten virgins have not tended their oil lamps and must go buy some. When they leave, their chance to follow the groom is missed and they are not allowed to marry. Rotermund uses many religious symbols in this painting, but I will only discuss symbols that directly identify the prepared and unprepared virgin. The first and most obvious symbol are the lamps themselves, around which the entire parable revolves. The virgin on the left holds her lamp high as a symbol of our divine potential to save. Coming out of the nozzle, a small flame can be seen, indicating that the lamp is filled with oil. This image alone is filled with deeper meaning, the oil being the symbol of our testimony and good works, all building on our personal dignity and our willingness to greet Christ when he comes. The single flame is a representation of the light of Christ, as well as an indicator of eternal life. The final symbol found on the left virgin is the laurel wreath found on her head. These laurel wreaths are “…a symbol of eternal glory, special achievement, success and triumph” (Laurel). This indicates that she accomplished something of value, even of eternal value, and that she was crowned victorious. All of these symbols found on the virgin on the left identify her as the prepared virgin, who kept her carved oil lamp to greet the bridegroom. The virgin on the right, however, tells a completely different story. The oil lamp is still in his hand, but it hangs sadly at his side. It is missing.