“Nihil Est Virtute Amabilius” (Nothing is sweeter than Virtue)
Charles Prutting
 oil on canvas
 
www.charlesprutting.com
 
Contact artist for information about this painting

COMMENTS BY THE ARTIST  This work was created in 2012 as part of my graduating thesis project for the Aristides Atelier at Gage Academy, where it was awarded Best in Show at the 2012 Best of Gage. The goal of the work was to create a work depicting people I encounter in my life who embody the seven virtues – Fides (Faith), Spes (Hope), Caritas (Charity), Temperantia (Temperance), Prudentia (Prudence), Fortitudo (Fortitude), and Aequitas Equitas (Justice).  Research was conducted regarding the prior paintings and literature depicting the virtues, most notably in the Renaissance era.  The resulting composition depicts the artist (Fortitude) in the process of creating a Madonna and Child painting with support and assistance by the other virtues.
 
In contemporary Western society, exposure to the seven deadly sins, or vices, has become an everyday occurrence in our daily lives.  Whether they are utilized for advertising in a culture of consumerism, presented as “entertainment,” or depicted in daily news events, they seem ubiquitous in Western society.  They have become so commonplace that their counterparts, the virtues, have become all but unrecognizable in our daily routines.  But they are still with us and within people we encounter.
 
The goal of my painting was to create a work depicting people I encounter in my life who embody these seven virtues – Fides (Faith), Spes (Hope), Caritas (Charity), Temperantia (Temperance), Prudentia (Prudence), Fortitudo (Fortitude), and Aequitas Equitas (Justice).  Seeking to capture the universal from within the commonplace, I attempted to fuse the mythological embodiment of the virtues (most notably illustrated in paintings from the Renaissance era) with the contemporary world which we inhabit.
 
The artist Fortitudo, with the assistance of the other virtues, attempts to create a work honoring the great creation of nature before him.  His is an effort to leave a legacy for future generations.  Prudentia engages the viewer, inviting us to participate.  For the works we do and the lives we create will be our legacy.
 
I want to thank the people who, by virtue of their virtues, inspired this painting – Valencia Carroll (Temperance),  Ulan Moore (Fortitude), Kathy Joe Troyer (Faith), Meghan Peringer (Charity), Sasha Baylor (Prudence), Denise Ashbaugh (Justice) and especially Domenic Ashbaugh-Federico (Hope – keep painting Domenic!).  You embody the best of who we are.
 
This work is dedicated to my first art teacher, James F. Prutting (1933-2011).