“decus meruit fortuna” – does fortune and merit?

Simple, does fortune and merit make a man? Is prosperity a definition of masculinity? The peonies, glass vase, and rich tapestry all symbolize this in conjunction. The blue in western society strongly represents the identification of masculine traits while the pinks in the peonies hints at vitality. The dim light illuminating the scene gives weight to the shadows that subdue the intensity of color, the shadows as a means of asking the additional question of “does how a man makes his fortune, make him a man?” How you earn your pay… are you still a man?