strength

Strength (1558), in the Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich, is an allegorical figure personifying one of the cardinal virtues, likely painted as part of a decorative cycle for a Venetian palace or public building. Veronese presents the virtue as a powerful female figure with her traditional attribute — the column or pillar she supports or embraces, symbolizing moral fortitude. Such allegorical figures were essential components of Venetian interior decoration, adorning ceilings and walls alongside mythological scenes and portraits. The Bavarian collections acquired significant Italian paintings during the collecting campaigns of the Wittelsbachs, who rivaled the Habsburgs and Medici in their appetite for Italian art.

The female figure personifying Strength is rendered with Veronese's characteristic monumental presence. The luminous palette and confident modeling create a compelling visual embodiment of the abstract virtue.