Fortitude

Serpotta decorated several oratories with stuccoes in which may be seen all the elements of Rococo style that was to flourish in Germany. He emerged from generations of artisans to become the greatest Sicilian sculptor of his day. He only knew the Baroque indirectly, from prints and contacts with artists who had trained on the mainland, but he achieved a distinctive synthesis of Sicilian and mainland influences, coupled with an extraordinary combination of verve and dexterity.

Serpotta represented Fortitude as female - most abstract qualities are of the feminine gender in Latin. His Fortitude was given a column as her attribute. The emphasis is contemporary, from her plumed hat to her high-heeled shoes.