Prudence

Seven paintings of the same size, representing the seven virtues, were commissioned from Piero del Pollaiuola in 1469 as the backs for chairs in the Audience Chamber in the Tribunale di Mercanzia in Piazza della Signoria, Florence. Six of these - representing Charity, Faith, Hope, Justice, Prudence and Temperance - were executed by Piero, while the seventh - Fortitude - was painted by the young Botticelli. The cycle was completed in 1472.

The Tribunale di Mercanzia was the body that decided on the business disputes between Florentine merchants and administered justice among the guilds, known as the Arts. In the 18th century, the wealth and heritage of this judiciary went to the Chamber of Commerce, including the seven paintings of the Virtues, taken to the Uffizi Galleries in 1777.

A young woman, seated on a bench, holds a mirror that reflects her image in one hand and a serpent in the other. This is the personification of Prudence, a virtue that indicates the ability to choose good and to act wisely. The serpent alludes to a passage in the Gospel of Matthew: "Be as prudent as snakes" (Matthew 10, 16), while the mirror is a tool to help knowledge.

Some scholars feel that some of the figures in the series, including Prudence, were painted with the help of Piero's brother, Antonio del Pollaiolo, a goldsmith, painter and sculptor, who perhaps came to the aid of Piero to speed up the work process.