The concept of opposing forces of good and evil expressed in a broad range of moral qualities--virtues and vices--is one of the most dominant themes in the history of Christian art. The complex interrelationship of these moral traits received considerable study in the medieval period, resulting in a vast and elaborate system of imagery that has been largely neglected by modern scholarship. Rich resources for the study of this important subject are made available by this volume, which publishes the complete holdings of the more than 230 personifications of Virtues and Vices in the Index of Christian Art's text files. Ranging from Abstinence to Wisdom and from Ambition to Wrath, and covering depictions of the Tree of Virtues, the Tree of Vices, and the Conflict of Virtues and Vices, this is the largest and most comprehensive collection of such personifications in existence. The catalogue documents the occurrence of these Virtues and Vices in well over 1,000 works of art produced between the fifth and the fifteenth centuries. The entries include objects in twelve different media and give detailed information on their current location, date, and subject.

Acknowledgments ix Notes on the Contributors xi List of Illustrations xiii Abbreviations xviii Introduction 3 PART 1: ESSAYS Virtus or Virago? The Female Personifications of Prudentius's Psychomachia S. GEORGIA NUGENT 13 Learning from Nature: Lessons in Virtue and Vice in the Physiologus and Bestiaries RON BAXTER 29 The Spirit in the World: The Virtues of the Floreffe Bible Frontispiece: British Library, Add. Ms. 17738, ff. 3v-4r ANNE-MARIE BOUCHE 42 Good and Evil, Not-So-Good and Not-So-Evil: Marginal Life on Gothic German Sacrament Houses ACHIM TIMMERMANN 66 The Art of the Tongue: Illuminating Speech and Writing in Later Medieval Manuscripts JESSE M. GELLRICH 93 The Virtuous Pelican in Medieval Irish Art COLUM HOURIHANE 120 PART 2: CATALOGUE OF VIRTUES AND VICES IN THE INDEX OF CHRISTIAN ART Introduction to the Catalogue 151 List of Virtues and Vices in the Catalogue 153 Abbreviations Used in the Catalogue 157 Virtues 159 Unidentified Virtues 309 Tree of Virtues 323 Cardinal Virtues 324 Vices 330 Unidentified Vices 433 Tree of Vices 437 Seven Vices 438 Wheel of Vices 438 Conflict of Virtues and Vices 439 Index of Catalogued Objects 443