06/14/2026
🎨🖌️ "The Wise and Foolish Virgins" by Violet Oakley | It's game day in the city. Seek a moment of calm inside to see 'A Nation of Artists at PAFA,' featuring 'The Wise and Foolish Virgins (1908–1909), in which Violet Oakley interprets the biblical parable (Matthew 25:1–13) through two luminous stained glass lancet windows, contrasting those who are prepared with those who are not. Drawing on medieval Gothic traditions, the composition moves from a shadowed scene of the foolish virgins to the illuminated procession of the wise, who carry their lamps toward an open cathedral door. Through intricate detail and luminous color, Oakley explores themes of time and readiness, and the consequences of both.
Violet Oakley (1874–1961), one of the leading American muralists of her time, was known for her ambitious, narrative-driven works and her belief in art as a vehicle for civic and spiritual ideals. Her career spanned illustration, mural painting, and stained glass, and she played a central role in Philadelphia’s cultural life while also advocating for international peace and cooperation.
A PAFA alumna, faculty member (1912–1917), and longtime exhibitor, Oakley maintained a deep and lasting connection to the Academy throughout her career. Her work reflects PAFA’s role in shaping American artists and, in turn, the artists who shaped its legacy.
Now on view at PAFA in A Nation of Artists, a once-in-a-generation exhibition uniting the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Middleton Family Collection to celebrate 250 years of American creativity across PAFA and PMA.
In town for the FIFA World Cup? Step inside for a moment of respite between matches.
🔗 www.pafa.org/visit
Source: pafaarchives.org & Woodmere Art Museum, “Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, The Wise Virgins and Foolish Virgins Stained Glass Lancet Windows," woodmeremuseum.org
🖼️ Violet Oakley (1874-1961), The Wise and Foolish Virgins, 1908-1909, Stained glass lancet windows. each window: 100 x 23 1/4 in. (254 x 59.055 cm.), John S. Phillips Fund, 2009.2.1a&b
