Original artwork, not a still
Unbounded courage and compassion join’d, Tempering each other in the victor’s mind, Alternately proclaim him good and great, And make the hero and the man complete.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Courage and compassion are strongest here when each moderates the other. Victory alone would leave the portrait incomplete; greatness also requires concern for those affected by power. The lines join public heroism with human feeling, making restraint and care part of what earns admiration.
Context reviewed
