Also vertù, virtù. [a. It. virtù:—L. virtūt-em, acc. sing. of virtus VIRTUE. The form vertu follows French spelling without justification, as the Italian sense of the word has never been current in French.]
1. A love of, or taste for, works of art or curios; a knowledge of, or interest in, the fine arts; the fine arts as a subject of study or interest.
α. 1722. Richardson, Statues, etc., in Italy, 290. The whole Nation have a sort of Love to what they call the Virtù, and know Something of it.
1752. Foote, Taste, Prol. Virtù to such a height is grown, All artists are encourag’d—but our own.
1782. Han. More, Lett., in W. Roberts, Mem. (1834), I. 248. Mr. Locke, a man of fashion,… and so deep in virtú, that every artist of every sort allows Mr. Locke to beat him even in the secrets of his own art.
1820. Scott, Lett., in Lockhart (1837). IV. xi. 358. It may be the foundation of a set of bronzes, if stout Lord Walter should turn to virtu.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., III. viii. I. 266. No noble Nation sunk from virtue to virtù, ever offered such a spectacle before.
personif. 1841. Lytton, Nt. & Morn., Introd. A lumber-room; Lumber, indeed! what Virtù double-locks in cabinets is the real lumber to the boy!
β. 1742. Pope, Dunc., IV. 569. Her children … Who study Shakespeare at the Inns of Court, Impale a Glow-worm, or Vertú profess.
1771. Mackenzie, Man Feel. (1886), 147. Fashion, Bon ton, and Vertù, are the homes of certain idols, to which we sacrifice the genuine pleasures of the soul.
1815. W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, 118. A Walpole for love of vertû far renown’d.
1830. Cunningham, Brit. Paint., I. 236. This country at that period … exported swarms of men with the malady of vertu upon them.
1871. Smiles, Charact., ix. (1876), 262. There [at Rome], the virtus or valour of the ancient Romans has characteristically degenerated into vertu, or a taste for knicknacks.
b. Man (or gentleman) of virtu, a virtuoso.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XIII. v. They … may be called men of wisdom and vertù (take heed you do not read virtue).
1787. Gentl. Mag., 1163/1. Being in company lately with several gentlemen of virtù, I found in their conversation frequent use of the word Taste in a sense I was unaccustomed to.
1811. Jeffrey, in Edin. Rev., May, 31. There are few things, about which men of virtu are more apt to rave, than the merits of the Grecian architecture.
c. Article, object, piece, etc., of virtu, an article such as virtuosos are interested in; a curio, antique or other product of the fine arts.
α. 1771. Goldsm., Haunch of Venison, 8. I had thoughts in my chambers to place it in view, To be shown to my friends as a piece of virtù.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Man of Many Fr. (Colburn), 148. Soon were they doomed to withdraw their eyes from the innumerable bits of virtù which surrounded them.
1857. C. Sumner, in S. Longfellow, Life Longf. (1891), II. 343. Stirling’s house is full of the choicest articles of virtù.
1879. S. C. Bartlett, Egypt to Pal., iv. 74. An immense number of articles of virtu from Egypt are now scattered through the world.
β. 1815. J. Scott, Vis. Paris (ed. 2), 116. The manufacture of some decoration, some piece of vertù, some elegant trifle.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xlix. Bareacres Castle was theirs,… with all its costly pictures, furniture, and articles of vertu.
1902. Snaith, Wayfarers, ii. Every object of vertu that I ever possessed.
2. A special branch of this study or interest.
1745–6. Mrs. Delany, in Life & Corr. (1861), II. 429. Last Tuesday Mr. Bristowe, an uncle of Miss Dashwood’s, dined here; he is a great virtuoso, understands all the virtus to perfection.
3. collect. Objects of art; curios.
Not always clearly distinguishable from sense 1.
1746. H. Walpole, Lett. to G. Montagu, 17 June. My books, my virtu, and my other follies and amusements take up too much of my time to leave me much leisure to think of other people’s affairs.
1768. Lett., in J. H. Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1843), II. 308. My longing to see my own collection of virtu at Castle Howard is wonderful.
1773. W. Mason, Heroick Ep. Sir W. Chambers, 7. Whose orb collects, in one refulgent view, The scatter’d glories of Chinese Virtù.
1839. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. Acc. New Play. Some Vandal or Jew, With a taste for virtu, Has knock’d off his toes, to place, I suppose, In some Pickwick Museum.
1858. D. Costello, Millionaire of Mincing Lane, ii. Pictures, crockery, gimcracks of all kinds—what is generally known as virtù.
attrib. 1792. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Ep. Sir W. Hamilton, Postscr. 4. What Britons, knowing in the Virtù trade, Soon as a grand discov’ry shall be made, Are near thee,… prepar’d to bite?
