Allegory of Prudence

This circular engraving depicts a woman representing the virtue of Prudence, identified by the classic pairing of the serpent and the dove. She holds a snake in her right hand while looking tenderly at two doves nestled in her clothing, set against a background featuring an architectural structure and a distant landscape. The composition emphasizes the balancing of worldly wisdom with spiritual innocence.

The work visualizes the Christianized interpretation of the classical virtue of Prudence, referencing the biblical command in Matthew 10:16 to be 'wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.' It reflects the Renaissance synthesis of Greco-Roman ethics with New Testament moral instruction.