The artwork titled “Courage” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, created around 1556 to 1560, is an engraving on paper. It belongs to the Northern Renaissance art movement and falls under the genre of allegorical painting. This piece is part of the series “The Vices and the Virtues,” which portrays various moral concepts through symbolic representation.
The artwork displays a bustling and chaotic scene, rich with intricate details and figures engaged in various acts of struggle and defense. In the center stands a personification of Courage, holding a column with the inscription “FORTITVDO” and surrounded by mythical creatures and combatants. A battlemented backdrop hosts heavily armored soldiers on horseback, who are charging into the fray, while the melee extends across the foreground with numerous combatants embroiled in fierce fighting. Various allegorical elements, including monstrous creatures and symbolic gestures, enhance the scene’s complexity and depth. The inscription at the bottom of the engraving reads, “A NIMVM VINCERE, IRACVNDIAM COHIBERE CAETERAQ VITIA ET AFFECTVS COHIBERE VERA FORTITVDO EST,” emphasizing the theme of true courage involving the mastery over one’s passions and vices.
