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About This Work
A woman representing the virtue of Fortitude is shown in a seated, muscular pose, wearing classical drapery and an armlet. To her right, a separate monochromatic figure stands within an architectural niche, holding a chalice to represent Faith. On the far left, a hand holds an open book, suggesting the intersection of moral strength, religious belief, and scholarly law.
This composition reflects the High Renaissance Neoplatonic synthesis found in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura, where classical Cardinal Virtues (like Fortitude) are harmonized with Christian Theological Virtues (like Faith). It illustrates the period's intellectual effort to reconcile ancient Greco-Roman ethics with contemporary Christian doctrine.