Prudence
Piero del Pollaiuolo·1470
Historical Context
Piero del Pollaiuolo's Prudence from around 1470 for the Tribunale di Mercanzia continues the virtue series alongside Justice, Faith, and Charity. Prudence — the virtue of wise judgment and foresight — was the foundation of all the other virtues in the classical tradition, and its inclusion in the merchants' court decoration reflected the Aristotelian ethics that Florentine humanists applied to commercial as well as political life. The standing female personification with her mirror — the traditional attribute of Prudence, which sees both present reality and future consequences — was rendered by Piero with the characteristic linear elegance of the Pollaiuolo workshop.
Technical Analysis
Piero renders the personified Virtue with characteristic Pollaiuolo precision, using careful attention to the mirror attribute and decorative throne within the consistent format established for the civic virtue series.
