Allegory of Virtue 1500 - 1515

This is Andrea Briosco's, also known as Riccio, “Allegory of Virtue”, made sometime between the late 15th and early 16th century. The Renaissance, Riccio's time, was a period of rediscovery and re-evaluation of classical thought. This medallion is an allegory, where the artist uses symbolic figures to convey abstract ideas. Here, we see a youthful figure standing triumphantly over a defeated dog, with each element imbued with symbolic weight. The period looked back to antiquity for its ideals, but antiquity was never just there to be found. Rather, figures like Riccio, working in bronze, were actively involved in creating and contesting notions of authority, and what we might think of as virtue. How might we consider this figure today, who stands over a defeated dog? What does it mean to see this symbol of power, in miniature? This medallion encapsulates the complex interplay between inherited ideals and contemporary values, inviting us to reflect on our own understanding of virtue.