Virtutis radix amor.

Plato.
Anima immersa corpori, Amoris expergiscitur stimulis:
& hinc primi ad honesta impetus capiuntur.

Cic.
Sine studio & ardore quodam Amoris in vita nihil quid.
quam fit egregium.

Liefde deughts oorsake.

De daden hoogh vermaert der aldervroomste mannen,
En waren noyt gheschiet, dan door te zijn ghewont
Van liefdes schichtē snel, in hunder hertē gront.
Daer 't wit des deughts mē raeckt, heeft Liefd' den boogh gespānē.

Amour source de vertu.

Les grands faits d'Hercules, que tout le monde admire,
Ne fusseut exploitez, s'il n'eut esté nauré
De la flesche d'Amour: nul dard bien asseuré
Au but de la vertu, sans l'Amour on ne tire.

14[b] ↓

Back to top ↑

Facsimile Images

14[a]

14[b]

Back to top ↑

Translations

Back to top ↑

Literature

Back to top ↑

Sources and parallels

Modelled after: Virtutis radix amor [17] (in: Otto Vaenius, Amorum emblemata (1608)) [Compare]
Modelled after:Virtutis radix amor [17] (in: Otto Vaenius, Amorum emblemata (1608)) [Compare]
Love has the power to bring about changes:Amor elegantiae pater. [52] (in: Jacob Cats, Sinne- en minnebeelden (1627)) [Compare]
Love has the power to bring about changes:Amor elegantiae pater. [51] (in: Jacob Cats, Proteus (1618)) [Compare]
Hercules as personification of Virtue:Virtute duce [27] (in: Otto Vaenius, Amorum emblemata (1608)) [Compare]

Back to top ↑

References, across this site, to this page:

Amor elegantiae pater. [51] (in: Jacob Cats, Proteus (1618))
Amor elegantiae pater. [52] (in: Jacob Cats, Sinne- en minnebeelden (1627))
Virtutis radix amor [17] (in: Otto Vaenius, Amorum emblemata (1608))
Virtutis radix amor [17] (in: Otto Vaenius, Amorum emblemata (1608))
Virtute duce [27] (in: Otto Vaenius, Amorum emblemata (1608))

Back to top ↑

Iconclass

Hercules leaning on his club and with the Hydra at his feet, is hit by an arrow from cupid's bow

trees [25G3]
(high) hill [25H113]
violent death by arrow(s) - EE - death not certain; wounded person [31EE23461]
archer's weapons: arrow [45C15(ARROW)]
archer's weapons: bow [45C15(BOW)]
quiver [45C23]
(personifications and symbolic representations of) Love; 'Amore (secondo Seneca)' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56F2(+4)]
Virtuousness; 'Amor di Virtù', 'Attione virtuosa', 'Guida sicura de' veri honori', 'Virtù', 'Virtù insuperabile' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [57A6(+4)]
proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(VIRTUTIS RADIX AMOR)]
'Omnia vincit Amor', Love the conqueror, Love triumphant [92D1511]
Cupid shooting a dart (+ variant) [92D1521(+0)]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(ARROW)]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(BOW)]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(QUIVER)]
(2) the Hydra of Lerna is killed by Hercules [94L322]
Hercules as personification of Virtue [94L71]

Virtutis radix amor [14]

Facsimile Images

Translations

Literature

Sources and parallels

References, across this site, to this page:

Iconclass

Comments

Notes