Hot Pamono Giacomo Stella, Allegory of Wisdom, Lady’s Portrait, 1600, Oil on Canvas

Allegory of Wisdom (or Prudence)

Oil on canvas

193 x 75 cm., Framed 199 x 82 cm.

The work is accompanied by a critical study by Professor Emilio Negro (Bologna).

All details regarding this painting can be viewed at the following link.

This beautiful allegorical composition, depicting a proud, two-faced female figure, was originally conceived as part of the stately furnishings of a large noble palace and represents the personification of the cardinal virtue of Wisdom (corresponding to Prudence in Catholic theology).

It is one of the four virtues that, along with Fortitude, Temperance, and Justice, were classified by Plato in his Phaedrus, and later adopted by the Christian religion to encompass the principal human virtues, equated with the pillars of a life dedicated to goodness and righteousness.

For the ancients, Prudence was considered the most important virtue available to man and the guide of all the others (auriga virtutum): specifically, it is the ability to discern, in every circumstance, our true good and to choose the appropriate means to achieve it.

The iconographic representation, in our case, features a woman with a statuesque physique with two Janus-like faces gazing—wisely—in multiple directions at once.

The first face, young and therefore alluding to the present, is turned toward a mirror, expressing man’s need to know himself and correct any flaws before acting. The second face is that of an old man, symbolizing past experience, without which the virtue of Prudence cannot be acquired.

A serpent is coiled around the woman’s right arm, an ancient symbol of cyclically renewing Time and of eternity, thus alluding to the perennial need to practice this virtue.

The serpent is also a symbol of temptation, which seeks to lead us away from the safest path, recalling the passage from the Gospel of Matthew, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

The work, whose execution expresses both elegance and power, is attributable to Giacomo Stella (Brescia 1545 – Rome 1630), a significant Mannerist artist active between the 16th and 17th centuries. Born in Brescia, Stella was primarily active in Rome, where he moved at a young age, during the pontificates of Gregory XIII (1572-1585) and his successors, Sixtus V (1585-1590) and Urban VIII.

In the papal city, he came into contact with Girolamo Muziano and Cesare Nebbia, both active in many of the major projects commissioned by the papacy in the late 16th century. Among these, the most important is the fresco of one of the major religious works of the time, the construction and decoration of the Sistine Chapel in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (not to be confused with the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican), intended to become the funeral chapel for Pope Sixtus V.

A painter of great temperament and gifted with a beautiful naturalistic vision, his unique hand undoubtedly created the large frescoes of the “Resurrection” and the “Creation of Eve” at the Scala Santa in Rome.

The painting is in good condition.

The painting is sold with a beautiful gilded wooden frame.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We handle and organize the shipping of purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

The painting can also be viewed in our gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be happy to welcome you and show you our collection of works.

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