Beschreibung:

Details
ANGELICA KAUFFMANN, RA (COIRE 1741-1807 ROME)
Allégorie de la Prudence
huile sur zinc
29,7 x 22 cm. (11 5/8 x 8 x 5/8 in.)
Provenance
Collection du Hon. Robert William Morgan Grenville (1892-1988), Royaume-Uni ; puis par descendance à son fils Robert Plantagenet Morgan-Grenville (1916-1993), Kenya ; puis par descendance à l'actuel propriétaire, Kenya.
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Post lot text
ANGELICA KAUFFMANN, RA, ALLEGORY OF PRUDENCE, OIL ON ZINC
The inclusion of the snake in the Allegory of Prudence has its roots in antique art and became a frequent symbol in Western art throughout the centuries, from the painting by Piero del Pollaiolo (1443-1496) commissioned in 1469 for the courtroom of the Tribunale di Mercanzia in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence, to the engraving that appeared in 1603 in the famous Iconologia by Cesare Ripa (1555-1622), which remained one of the most important sources of inspiration for European artists until the end of the 18th century. However, in traditional representations of the subject, Prudence holds a mirror instead of the dove seen here. This change brings Kauffmann's work closer to the biblical verse: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). These words are paraphrased at the bottom of the engraving made in 1780 by Charles Taylor (1756-1823) after Kauffmann's painting, where it reads "Be prudent and benevolent". This engraving, together with that of the preceding lot, the Allegory of Mercy and Truth, is part of a series entitled The Moral Emblems consisting of six individual subjects, also including Wisdom, Hope, Instruction and Life. The painting representing Wisdom was sold at Sotheby's in New York in January 2012, lot 202 ($59,375).
For more information on this painting, see the note on Lot 48.
We would like to thank Dr. Bettina Baumgärtel for confirming the attribution to Angelica Kauffmann based on a first-hand inspection of the work, which she plans to include in her forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist.