Temperance, Charity, and Them Other Moral Platitudes: The Seven Heavenly Virtues in Art

Friday, November 14 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Great Gallery

What do sculpture, painting, and prints reveal about humanity’s eternal conflict between good and evil?

TMA’s Curator Emeritus Lawrence W. Nichols will explore this question in a richly illustrated talk. Learn more how artists from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance visualized the timeless conflict between Virtues and Vices. From sculpture and painting to prints and public monuments, these personifications of abstract ideas reveal how the Western world has long grappled with cosmic strife. Dr. Nichols will also highlight four Parisian landmarks, two churches, a palace, and a fountain—that embody this enduring theme.

This program will be held in the Museum’s Great Gallery, which will close to the public on December 14 for a comprehensive gallery reinstallation. Learn more about the Reimagining Our Galleries here. The lecture offers a special opportunity to experience this iconic space before it undergoes its transformation.

Lawrence W. Nichols is Curator Emeritus at the Toledo Museum of Art, where he served as William Hutton Senior Curator of European and American Painting and Sculpture before 1900. He joined the TMA in 1992 after serving as associate curator of the John G. Johnson Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1986-92). A specialist in northern Baroque painting, he curated major exhibitions including The Brilliance of Caravaggio, Frans Hals Portraits, and Manet: Portraying Life. His publications include The Paintings of Hendrick Goltzius, 1558–1617: A Monograph and Catalogue Raisonné. Dr. Nichols earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Nichols retired from the Toledo Museum of Art in 2021.

Registration for this lecture is encouraged, but not required; nonregistered guests are welcome and will be welcomed in as capacity allows. Admittance will be given with preference to registered guests. Registering for our events allows us to best plan for our audience.

Individuals with disabilities, please indicate if you need accommodations, assistance or appropriate modifications to fully participate in this event by contacting Access Initiatives, [email protected]. Please note that while we endeavor to provide everyone with a positive visitor experience, last-minute requests may not be accommodated; we ask for requests to be made, at minimum, 3 days prior to the event.