Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 30 (recto) 1563

Editor: This is an engraving from 1563, a page from "Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..." by Matteo Pagano, housed at the Metropolitan Museum. I find the imagery really striking – it has a fairytale, almost allegorical feel. All those little animals, the forest… It feels like there's a hidden message here. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, a jewel of Renaissance thought! For me, it’s all about the power of virtue overcoming poison. You've got this serpent-infested lake, right? Toxic! No animal dares to drink from it... except the unicorn. He dips his horn in, purifies the water, and *then* the other animals can drink safely. Editor: So the unicorn symbolizes virtue? Curator: Precisely! A common Renaissance symbol, and often seen in similar works from the period. It’s like a visual sermon; it plays on that whole 'virtue is its own reward' idea. The tangled ornament surrounding the scene, what do you think about that? Editor: Hmm, it is elaborate. Perhaps how virtue is hard to reach? Curator: Or it mirrors the winding path we take to acquire it! It is almost decorative... the artist maybe is calling into the necessity of virtue by putting it within the pretty? I don't know...what do you think? Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought of that! I guess there’s more here than meets the eye initially. Curator: Exactly! Art opens our minds; in turn, it enhances the heart! A perfect lesson.