3-002-222 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The widow's mite, 1836. Illustration of a passage from the New Testament (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). The apostles surround Jesus, who is looking at the poor widow on the left. She is throwing two Lepta (the smallest denomination of coins at the time) into the collection box. In the Bible passage in question, Christ believes that proportionally, the widow sacrificed more than anyone else. Dullinger illustrates this contrast by the depiction of the rich man next to her, who examines some coins from his bulging bag. His behaviour is exposed as miserly.