Artists from the Renaissance onwards painted Virgil’s powerful quote on love.
“Omnia Vincit Amor, or The Power of Love in the Three Elements,” 1809, by Benjamin West. Oil on canvas; 70 3/8 inches by 80 1/2 inches. Maria DeWitt Jesup Fund, 1923. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain
Painters from the Renaissance onwards imparted ancient wisdom on their canvases. Many great artworks emerged from the wellspring of Virgil’s “Eclogues,” a collection of 10 pastoral poems that the Roman composed between 42 B.C. and 37 B.C.
One quote from the “Eclogues” has inspired artists time and again: “Omnia vincit amor” or “Love conquers all.”
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.
