Donato Creti (Cremona, 1671 - Bologna, 1749)
Prudence, 1719/1721 ca.
oil on copper; inv. P 31
provenance: Bequest of Marcantonio Collina Sbaraglia to the Senate, 1744
Traditionally the allegorical figure of Prudence wears a golden helmet
encircled by a mulberry wreath. In this composition Creti slightly
modifies the iconography.
Here the helmet lies on the ground becoming the pretext for an
outstanding passage of still life painting, counterpointed by the
objects forming a discreet vanitas in the background; the book and the
fuming urn with pearls around its neck are an allusion to the
transience of worldly goods. With her arm extended, Prudence points to
her traditional attribute, a mirror, through which a prudent person is
able to foresee the future.
In her other hand she holds a skull, symbol of human mortality.
Draperies always have such importance in Creti's painting as to almost
take on a life of their own, especially here, where the blue material
is folded in a sort of harmonious hieroglyphic.
