Patience, from "Virtues and Vices" 1549

Curator: Standing before us is Heinrich Aldegrever’s engraving, "Patience, from 'Virtues and Vices'," created in 1549. It's part of a larger series exploring moral concepts through figuration, a common practice in the Northern Renaissance. Editor: Oh, she looks a bit...frazzled for Patience! Her hair’s all over the place, her hands are up like she’s warding something off, and that poor sheep looks just as worried as I do right now. Definitely not what comes to mind when I think about keeping calm. Curator: Well, the symbolism offers some insight. That broken wheel, the scattered thorns—they represent the trials and tribulations that test one's patience. Notice also the armour; they need Patience in wartime. Her virtue isn't passive but an active resistance to adversity. Editor: Resistance is right. She’s braced for impact, isn’t she? Like she knows exactly what fresh hell is about to break loose. I find it darkly humorous how accurately it captures that internal battle we all face when our buttons are pushed. That is so true in our modern society. Curator: Precisely! Aldegrever was reflecting the social anxieties of his time—the religious upheavals of the Reformation, the constant threat of war. The prints would circulate widely, offering moral guidance during uncertain times. "Patience" was a virtue very much required then, and possibly today, too! Editor: Absolutely. You know, for something rendered in such precise detail, there's a raw, almost visceral quality to it. That little lamb seems so innocent amidst all the carnage around. Is there any way you could even think to have patience as you see that mayhem. Curator: Aldegrever certainly was a master engraver; the level of detail he achieves is remarkable. But he was also commenting on the world around him. He understood human behavior on a very intimate basis. Editor: Well, now, I see "Patience" isn’t about being a placid doormat; it's about steeling yourself. It is bracing and knowing, understanding life's challenges without letting them overwhelm you. Thanks for pointing that out to me! I may need to visit her again on particularly tough days. Curator: It is often enriching to witness how our impressions of such works transform the more deeply we view them. Editor: Right! Definitely something I think I'll think of every time things start heading south and the seas get choppy. I like the word, bracing.