The Allegory of Prudence

Today I've been working on allegorical paintings for my personal study and after some research about the painting Allegory of Prudence by Titian, I've found out that its story and his hidden meaning is really mysterious … I've made a little summary of the interpretations of this painting, and a definition of allegory for those who don't know what is it. Have a good reading !

An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to show a hidden meaning.

It can help the painter to express his opinions (political or moral ones) in a clever way. Allegories can shock the viewer but also can be hard to find, as I said, it exists also in literature. I had chosen an example for you to give an idea of the subject :

Allegory of Prudence by Titian

The Allegory of Prudence, traditionally attributed to Titian, is a strange painting. It represents the heads of an old man in left profile, an adult facing the viewer and a youth in right profile, which correspond to the images below them representing the heads of a wolf, a lion and a dog. Above and behind them, is written a Latin inscription, almost invisible in most reproductions, with the words ex praete/rito above the old man, praesens prvden/ter agit above the middle man and ni fvtvrv/actione de/tvrpet above the youngest. The full inscription can be translated as “from the past /the present acts prudently/lest it spoil future action”.

It was probably painted over a period round 1560, the painting was not included in an inventory of Titian’s works on his death. Although, some people interpreted it as a political allegory which were about the dilemma of Alfonso I d'Este and the duke of Ferrara. The interpretations had been changed through the years but none of these political interpretations explained the inscription. However, the most possible explanation is about "The three ages of man". The wolf possibly represented the subtlety of old age, with the lion as the vigour of manhood and the dog as the frivolity of a young man. It could also possibly a painting covering another image to protect it from dust, which Titian were known to do ..

I hope you enjoyed it, don't forget to express your opinion just below !