Description
- Virtue does not come from wealth, but. . . wealth and every other good thing which men have. . . comes from virtue.
–Socrates
The ancient Greek Philosopher named Socrates believed that virtue was the greatest attainable good but that knowledge of virtue was not sufficient to be virtuous. Virtue becomes an action or lifestyle above simply an idea as he also believed that true virtue was a combination of courage, temperance, justice, and piety.
I created the painting titled What is Virtue? while painting work for a solo museum exhibit titled The Socratic Dialogues. During this time of hosting conversations around Nashville and examining the writings of the Greek philosophers, I began to take on a personal quest to work towards my most virtuous self. During this exploration, I quickly realized that virtue is what appears to be an unattainable goal. I continued to struggle in my efforts to grow, and felt that for every step I took, I would wobble and even fall. The imagery of climbing a rope ladder came to mind as I started to except that I may never achieve that state of virtue, yet there is so much virtue in my efforts to work toward that next rung.
In this original ladder painting, the maple leaf and pods fall to suggest the seasonal turn towards the bleak winter. As we wonder, faced with the knowledge of an unattainable end, how difficult is it to continue down a road toward virtue? What choices do we each of us make to continue on, despite the struggle?
The What is Virtue? painting is printed on wonderful 100% cotton fine art quality printing canvas with a giclee professional printer and stretched on a wooden frame. The print is mirrored around the edge of the canvas to provide a professional look of gallery wrapped prints. It comes ready to hang or can be framed without glass to add beauty, inspiration and mindfulness to your home.
