Vires, Artes, Mores: Come to Life Again

In 1909, Agnes Granberry, a student at Florida State College for Women majoring in art and studying Latin, devised the famous emblem of the institution, the three flaming torches with their Latin mottoes—Vires, Artes, Mores [1] . In 2020, Dr. Alan Pascuzzi, professor of art history at the Florida State University Study Center in Florence, took on the challenge of creating personifications of these ideals in life-size bronze statues. His statues were first shown in Florence in 2021, and replicas have now been unveiled at the home campus of Florida State University.

In modern times the Latin words have been used as inspiration for words that “brand” FSU, with the result that the university’s motto in English became “Strength, Skill, Character.” While honoring these concise translations, Dr. Pascuzzi also sought out deeper, more nuanced meanings and a more traditional approach to the Latin words to fit in with his own understanding of the rich vocabulary of ancient classical and Renaissance culture. He drew on concepts of the classical Muses and on customary depictions of the past that also incorporated inscriptions in Latin.

Dr. Pascuzzi wanted to include inscriptions in the Latin language on his sculptures, in the tradition of Renaissance works of art. Dr. Nancy de Grummond, M. Lynette Thompson Distinguished Research Professor of Classics, was invited to devise Latin phrases that would illuminate and expand the concepts of Vires, Artes and Mores. She composed poetic phrases that were then engraved onto the clothing of the personifications [2-3]. Below are descriptions of the iconography of the statues along with their relevant Latin phrases.

VIRES

The statue of Vires shows a goddess in a vigorous pose reading from a book and at the same time resting one foot on three volumes, with the names of the authors Plato, Aristotle and Virgil. The “Strength” of books is stressed in the Latin inscription written on the border of her blouse. The goddess seems to speak: Vires librosque cano. “I sing of the powers (of) books…”

ARTES

The goddess supports many arts, as she plays a stringed instrument—a lyre—and rests a foot on a handsome Corinthian/Ionic capital, flanked by a classical theater mask and artist’s palette. On the lyre of Vires, Dr. Pascuzzi put a low relief of a butterfly as a symbol of transformation, indicating how the three virtues of strength, skill and character transform the person and their soul. The phrase inscribed on the blouse refers to the fine arts as much as to “Skill”: Artes renascuntur; renascimur nos in illis “The arts are reborn; we are reborn in them.”

MORES

The statue of Mores holds a flower as a metaphor for traditions of flourishing and blooming. The concept is especially fitting since the statues were first displayed in Florence, the name of which refers to flowering, and then were transferred to Florida, where a similar reference is clear. Dr. Pascuzzi placed a lily in the hand of the Italian version, since the emblem of Florence is the fleur-de-lys. This was appropriately changed to an orange blossom for the Florida statue.

The reference here was intended to refer to growing and building “Character,” bringing fruition of the self through education. The goddess declares, Mores, tempora sum; et in Florentia et in Florida ego. “I am traditions and times! Both in Florence and in Florida, I am present.”

Each of the three statues wears a flaming diadem. Dr. de Grummond contrived a verse to describe the overall significance, now placed in the middle of the three statues on the base: Ardent Seminoli sapientiae flammis. “Seminoles are ablaze with the flames of wisdom.”

A Note on Agnes Granberry, An Outstanding Student at FSCW

Mary Agnes Granberry Chalker (1891-1975) studied Greek and Latin at Florida State College for Women and combined her excellence in academics with her abilities in drawing and water-color painting. She was the ideal choice to create the seal of Florida State College for Women, the institution so named for the first time in 1909. Agnes was an outstanding leader, being President and Valedictorian of her class of 1912. She was offered a scholarship to study art at the Sorbonne in Paris, but chose marriage to Selwyn Chalker in 1913. While raising 5 children she taught Latin, English, Speech and Art in Florida schools for 30 years.