Magnificently perceptive.
“In terms of its morality, the Renaissance was split in two: it was part-Aristotelian, part-Christian. As Aristotelians, the men of the Renaissance displayed the virtues of intelligence and pride, and pursued the value of happiness on earth. As Christians, they upheld the virtues of humility, renunciation and self-sacrifice, and the value of rewards in Heaven. Thus the existentially brilliant era of the Renaissance was marred, spiritually, by a profound moral conflict.”
“The statues present men who have intelligence, courage, determination and strength of character; but they do not convey a sense of happiness. The moral conflict tinged the Renaissance view of life, and in the faces of the statues there is a touch of sadness or uncertainty or tragedy, an expression of longing for an ideal never fully reached.” –Metaphysics in Marble by Marry Ann Sures
This is Joshua Speaking 
Speaking of statues/sculptures, here’s one of my favorites that does convey a sense of happiness, beauty, and strength of character (i.e., self-esteem):
“Dancer and Gazelles” by Paul Manship