History of the Cardinal Virtues in Artwork and Politics

Bacchus and Seasons. Mosaic. Algiers, Algeria.

Long before being adopted by Christian artists, the practice of portraying a centralized figure surrounded by four objects - commonly set within a medallion framework - was favored by pagan artists.[1] Popular objects represented within European pagan artwork were the Four Seasons, the Four Gods of the Wind, the Classical Elements, etc. The Cardinal Virtues were, in fact, discussed frequently by Classical scholars though they only gained traction after being mentioned within the text of the Bible. While the four allegorical representations changed under the spread of Christianity, both the format of the representations, within medallions, and the idea behind the depictions remained the same. They were meant to indicate the 'essential moral worth of the person portrayed and this moral aspect is valued more highly than any dignity or beauty of outward appearance'.[2] This concept becomes especially important when discussing why the Cardinal Virtues continuously appear in politically commissioned pieces of artwork.

Specula principum, or mirrors for princes, were a category of political writing during the Middle Ages. They were meant to instruct kings and lesser rulers on the essential principles and rules that would ensure good leadership. Specula principum, however, were not simply reserved within the sphere of political writing, these values and lessons were frequently brought into artwork through the use of the Cardinal Virtues. Each of the four virtues represented specific, and necessary, characteristics that were considered essential for good leadership.[3]

Detail of the Cardinal Virtues from a Medieval manuscript.

It was not until the 9th century that general portrayals of the Cardinal Virtues were established. This acceptance of an easily recognizable set of Cardinal Virtues was influenced by a dedicatory miniature in the Bible of S. Callistus (876-888), in it, the four virtues appear behind the throne of Charles III, the Fat.[4] From that point onwards the representation of the Cardinal Virtues remained virtually unchanged, with the exception of where they began to appear in religious artwork. Pairing the virtues with kings, donors or saints was not uncommon, however, it was rare to see any of the virtues depicted with the Madonna and Child, most likely due to their extremely different allegorical meanings. However, Martorell, along with some of his fellow artists, decided to change it thus altering the interaction between the Cardinal Virtues and the direct relatives of Christ.