Temperance. From: The Virtues

Heinrich Aldegrever was one of the so-called 'Little Masters', a group of German artists making small prints in the generation after Albrecht Dürer, who included Hans Baldung Grien, the Beham brothers and Georg Pencz. The close resemblance of his work to that of Dürer led to Aldegrever being called the 'Albert of Westphalia', although his style went on to depart from his mentor's intricate line work to stress the optical effects of light and shadow. He became a Lutheran convert in 1531, but continued to depict religious themes, while his ornamental engravings were used as models by artists and craftsmen well into the 17th century. His images of virtues and vices were so popular that Aldegrever made cycles of both in 1549 (not yet represented in the collection) and, here, 1552. Te Papa owns the complete cycle, all acquired in 1978. These complement several Aldegrever prints in the foundation art collection, presented to the Colonial Museum, forerunner of Te Papa, in 1869 by Bishop Ditlev Monrad.

The Greek definition of temperance translates to “moderation in action, thought, or feeling; restraint." Temperance is a major Athenian virtue, as advocated by Plato; self-restraint (sôphrosune) is one of his four core virtues of the ideal city, and echoed by Aristotle. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, temperance is prolific. The Old Testament emphasizes temperance as a core virtue, as evidenced in both Solomon's Book of Proverbs and in the Ten Commandments, with its admonitions against adultery and covetousness. The New Testament does so as well, with forgiveness being central to theology and self-control being one of the 'fruits' of the Holy Spirit.

The Latin inscription can be translated as 'Temperance (Sobrietas) cleans the mind and body of dirty nonsense, bad temper and is the enemy of vice'. The opposite of Temperance is Gluttony, one of Aldegrevers cycle of seven engravings depicting the vices (1978-0006-5/ 5).

In this female personification, the figure holds a staff from which flies a flag featuring a fish. This is an ancient symbol of Christ which still enjoys wide currency, as well as an allusion to his miracle of the loaves and the fishes. The motif on the escutcheon is a salamander springing from the flames, a symbol of righteous man, who cannot be touched by purgatory. A falcon/dove like bird perches on the escutcheon. The setting of a landscape with ruins suggests a modish reference to antiquity, but perhaps the artist is also saying these virtues and vices have existed for time immemorial. 

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Aldegrever

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperance_(virtue)

Dr Mark Stocker, Curator Historical International Art                   December 2016