Twenty-Five Nevada Goldbacks | Fortitudine (Fortitude)

Description

Fortitudine, or Fortitude, is the third, and final new virtue that debuts in the Nevada Goldback Series. She is patterned after Nike, the Greek winged goddess of Victory. A driving theme for this piece is “Fortitude brings Victory over Vice”, as can be seen illustrated with the bobcat pouncing on a “land crocodile”, the tortoise. Fortitudine is patterned after the trumpeting angels found along the walls of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and is understood to be sounding the first trumpet of Triumph.

On her head is the laurel wreath, a symbol of glory, and in her left hand, a palm leaf symbolizes triumph. A notable feature of this design is the symbol of pillars rising up out of the desert that is in a rare “super bloom”, symbolizing Fortitude’s role and success in holding Nevada and her people together in the past, present and future. Also present are barrel cactus, the sagebrush in bloom as it is on Nevada’s State Flag, a joshua tree in bloom, and other hidden symbols. All of this is back-dropped by the beautiful Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas.