The Virtues: Magnanimitas - Cornelis Cort

A 1566 engraving by Cornelis Cort depicting the personification of Magnanimity, featuring a regal figure seated upon a lion.

This engraving, titled Magnanimitas, is part of a series depicting the Virtues, designed by Frans Floris and executed by the Dutch master Cornelis Cort. Cort was a significant figure in the development of printmaking, known for his technical precision and his ability to translate the complex compositions of Italian and Flemish painters into the medium of engraving. His work in Rome and Antwerp helped disseminate the aesthetic values of the late Renaissance across Europe.

The image presents a personification of Magnanimity, a virtue associated with greatness of spirit and courage. The figure is seated upon a lion, a traditional symbol of strength and nobility. She wears a crown and holds a sceptre, indicating her regal status. The composition is balanced, with the figure positioned under a tree, while a classical architectural structure appears in the background. The scene includes small figures in the distance, providing a sense of scale and narrative depth. The Latin inscription at the base offers a moralising commentary on the nature of fortune and the brave, a common feature in sixteenth-century allegorical prints.

Cort employs a sophisticated system of hatching and cross-hatching to define the forms, from the soft folds of the drapery to the textured mane of the lion. The clarity of the line work demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship expected from the workshops of the period, such as that of Hieronymus Cock, whose name appears on the print as the publisher. This piece reflects the intellectual climate of the time, where classical themes were reinterpreted through a Christian and humanist lens. It remains a clear example of the collaborative nature of print production in the sixteenth century, where the roles of inventor, engraver, and publisher were distinct yet interconnected.