Fragment of a mosaic depicting seven wise Virgins,... Lot 2

Fragment of a mosaic depicting seven wise Virgins, composed of tesserae of marble, pâte de verre and gilded glass. Dressed in a tunic with a wide collar decorated with hearts, each holds a lit candle in one hand. Byzantine art, Greece, 11th / 12th century H. 50 cm - L. 52 cm (a few accidents and restorations) This mosaic fragment, with its elegant, refined style, belongs to the post-iconoclastic production that flourished following the Council of Nicaea in 787, which authorized but regulated the cult of images. However, it wasn't until the arrival of Patriarch Photios of Constantinople (c. 820 - c. 897) that church walls and ceilings began to be decorated with biblical scenes, angels and saints, reaching the classical idealism of the Middle Byzantine Empire, as can be seen in the mosaics of the Daphní monastery in Greece. Provenance : - Former private collection, Netherlands, since 1980 (attested by notarized document)