Line #60 Art/SevenVirtues


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sevenvirtues.png]]
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3	The ''Seven Virtues'' is a seven-panel set of UsefulNotes/{{Ital\|y}}ian [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance Renaissance]] tempera-on-wood {{paintings}} commissioned together and made in 1470 to decorate the Hall of Il Palazzo della Signoria (now known as Palazzo Vecchio, "Old Palace") in UsefulNotes/{{Florence}}. The theme is the [[SevenHeavenlyVirtues seven cardinal and theological virtues]] of UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}}.
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5	One of them, ''Fortitude'', was painted on poplar wood by Creator/SandroBotticelli. The other six (''Temperance'', ''Faith'', ''Charity'', ''Hope'', ''Justice'' and ''Prudence'') were painted on cypress wood (a wood able to resist the attacks of xylophagous insects and damp) by Piero del Pollaiolo (1441-1496), who may have been helped by his brother Antonio to speed up the process.
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7	The reason Botticelli painted only one out of seven is because del Pollaiolo [[ScrewedByTheLawyers wrestled the commission from him]] in his favor after contesting the choice of artist by the Tribunale di Mercanzia (the legal body that regulated merchant disputes and craftsmanship guilds in UsefulNotes/TheCityStateEra, arts included).
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9	All seven paintings are housed in the Galleria degli Uffizi museum in Florence.
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11	See Art/RaphaelRooms for another [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance Renaissance]] art series that features the Christian cardinal and heavenly virtues
12	----
13	!!Tropes in this set of paintings:
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15	[[foldercontrol]]
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17	[[folder:In General]]
18	* ArtisticLicenceAnatomy: JustifiedTrope. The reason all the depicted women have a larger lower part of their body compared to the smaller upper part is one of [[MediaNotes/GraphicalPerspective perspective]]: the panels were hung high on the walls of the Palazzo della Signoria, so the onlooker could have a more even view of them from below.
19	* CastOfPersonifications: The set is composed of women who are {{Anthropomorphic Personification}}s of a modified list of the SevenHeavenlyVirtues--i.e., Justice instead of Chastity, which also includes TheCardinalVirtues.
20	** Fortitude as a regal and armored woman holding a scepter.
21	** Temperance as a woman mixing hot and cold water.
22	** Faith as a woman holding a chalice and a crucifix.
23	** Charity as a woman breastfeeding a child.
24	** Hope as a woman looking up to the heavens and making a praying gesture with her hands.
25	** Justice as a woman holding a sword and a globe.
26	** Prudence as a woman holding a serpent in one hand and a mirror reflecting her face in the other.
27	* CoolChair: All of the women sit on elaborate thrones the backs of which resemble the architecture of a church's choir.
28	* CoolCrown:
29	** "Fortitude" wears a diadem with embedded pearls that point towards the sky.
30	** "Charity" has an elaborate, golden crown on her head. It represents that wealth is to be shared with others. It also complements the woman's Madonna imagery.
31	* HeavenAbove: Both "Faith" and "Hope" look upwards to the Heavens. The former does so in acknowledging {{God}}'s existence while the latter does so in prayer.
32	* LadyOfWar: "Fortitude" and "Justice" are depicted as regal women who are the [[EmbodimentOfVirtue embodiments of their respective virtue]]. They are both wearing plated armor--although, in Justice's case it's just an ornate shoulder plate on her sword arm--and holding a weapon; Justice wields a RoyalRapier while Fortitude holds a {{s\|taff Of Authority}}cepter.
33	* ProperLady: All the figures are women who embody the Christian core virtues, so they're proper ladies by default. This characterization can also be seen in the elegant way they sit, their immaculate clothing, and how all barring "Hope" bear serious, composed expressions on their face.
34	* ShownTheirWork: Both Botticelli's and Pollaiolo's knowledge in goldsmithing (or that of the latter's brother Antonio, who was a goldsmith) shows in, respectively, the very detailed armor of ''Fortitude'' and the gold objects of some of the others, which was inspired by the most elegant and precious ecclesiastical ornaments in use in the 15th century.
35	[[/folder]]
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37	[[folder:''Fortitude'']]
38	!!''Fortitude'' (Italian: ''Fortezza'')
39	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fortezza2.jpg]]
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41	The most well-known of the panels, this painting is Creator/SandroBotticelli's first known masterpiece. Unlike del Pollaiolo's cypress panels, it was painted on poplar, a very traditionally [[UsefulNotes/TheBraveRegionsOfItalia Tuscan]] medium back then. The model for the woman has been speculated to be Lucrezia Donati, a mistress of Lorenzo "The Magnificent" de' Medici.
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43	* BattleBallgown: The woman wears a plated armor underneath her robes.
44	* BlingOfWar: From what we can see, the woman's armor is very elaborate, especially its shoulder (with a dragon wing-like golden decoration) and breastplate (with what appears to be diamonds as "nipples") sections.
45	* ColorContrast: The woman's soft and vivid red mantle contrasts the cold and harsh gray and dark blue of the armored parts. This signifies that fortitude is equal parts passion and composed strength.
46	* LeaningOnTheFurniture: The woman's left arm leans on a side of the throne as a way to convey TheStoic part of her characterization. The fortitude to stand calmly against everything life throws at her.
47	* RedIsHeroic: The woman's red mantle is a symbol of courage, which is associated with fortitude. Or, in this context, the strength that one must have when overcoming hardship.
48	* ShowWithinAShow: There are paintings within the painting, those on the ceiling of the church choir-like structure behind the woman more precisely.
49	* StaffOfAuthority: The woman holds a scepter in her hands to convey that she's a hardened LadyOfWar.
50	* VirginPower: The diadem's pearls are a symbol of virginity.
51	[[/folder]]
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53	[[folder:''Temperance'']]
54	!!''Temperance'' (Italian: ''Temperanza'')
55	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/temperance_4.png]]
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57	The first panel by Piero del Pollaiolo, painted on cypress wood.
58	----
59	* SugarAndIcePersonality: A woman mixing cold and hot water as a symbol of temperance, the capacity for moderation and the right measure.
60	* RedGreenContrast: The vivid red mantle on the woman's legs contrasts with the green dress she wears. Also, the floor and two walls are red, while the ceiling and two other walls are dark green. This imagery further reinforces the "meeting the extremes at the middle" idea that she embodies, as green and red are complimentary colors.
61	* TheTeetotaler: Temperance also implies restraint from overindulgence in (alcoholic) drinking.
62	[[/folder]]
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64	[[folder:''Faith'']]
65	!!''Faith'' (Italian: ''Fede'')
66	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/faith_1.png]]
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68	The second panel by Piero del Pollaiolo, painted on cypress wood.
69	----
70	* CrucialCross: As a personification of the Christian faith, she holds very recognizable symbols of it -- a crucifix in one hand and a chalice (for the Blood of [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Christ]]) in the other.
71	* GoldAndWhiteAreDivine: The woman's clothes are predominantly golden and white, and she just so happens to symbolize faith in {{God}}.
72	[[/folder]]
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74	[[folder:''Charity'']]
75	!!''Charity'' (Italian: ''Carità'')
76	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charity_7.png]]
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78	The third panel by Piero del Pollaiolo (though it's actually the first he worked on), painted on cypress wood.
79	----
80	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She is portrayed as a blonde woman breastfeeding a baby who is not hers as a way to represent that her heart is compassionate toward everyone and an AllLovingHeroine all around.
81	* NippleAndDimed: The woman has one of her breasts out to breastfeed the child, and the nipple is not visible due to being hidden by the child's cheek.
82	* PlayingWithFire: There's a flame coming out of the woman's fingers on her right hand. This is a symbol of the warmth and enlightenment she provides to others.
83	[[/folder]]
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85	[[folder:''Hope'']]
86	!!''Hope'' (Italian: ''Speranza'')
87	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hope_7.png]]
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89	The fourth panel by Piero del Pollaiolo, painted on cypress wood.
90	----
91	* {{Minimalism}}: The painting has no other attributes than the ecstatic face of the woman giving herself up to God in a prayer, which is sufficiently explanatory about its subject.
92	* PrayerPose: The woman prays with the traditional Christian gesture of joining hands palm against palm.
93	[[/folder]]
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95	[[folder:''Justice'']]
96	!!''Justice'' (Italian: ''Giustizia'')
97	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/justice_17.png]]
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99	The fifth panel by Piero del Pollaiolo, painted on cypress wood.
100	----
101	* ForGreatJustice: "Justice", as a heavenly virtue, replaces the traditional "Chastity" as an ornament of the Florentine Palazzo della Signoria in an attempt to illustrate that this is one of the core purposes of the city's ruling body. It establishes the place as the home of the aforementioned virtue and that the authorities will judge the citizens fairly.
102	* GotTheWholeWorldInMyHand: A non-malicious example. The woman has a globe representing the known world by her side under her left hand. It symbolizes that justice is universal and unbiased.
103	* JusticeWillPrevail: The iconography of "Justice at Arms" became established in the 14th century, perhaps with the aim of vindicating the principle of sure penalty as a guarantee of peace and good government, or to indicate the righteous use of power. Hence, this portrayal of Justice having a sword at hand.
104	* RoyalRapier: The woman holds a sword in her right hand, a symbol for the punishment of injustice. {{Downplayed}} as, while its long, thin blade is clearly made for thrusting, its hilt lacks an elaborate hand guard.
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:''Prudence'']]
108	!!''Prudence'' (Italian: ''Prudenza'')
109	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prudence_5.png]]
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111	The sixth panel by Piero del Pollaiolo, painted on cypress wood.
112	----
113	* TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf: The mirror the woman holds refers to Prudence's gift of self-knowledge.
114	* WiseSerpent: The woman holds a serpent not because she stays away from a danger it could represent, but because of this quote from the ''[[Literature/TheFourGospels Gospel of Matthew]]'' in Literature/TheBible:
115	-->'''UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}:''' Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
116	[[/folder]]

Context Art / SevenVirtues