Design for a Casket with Figure of Prudence
Inscribed in upper right corner, in pen and brown ink, 18-(?).
Purchased as the gift of the Fellows, 1964
The casket, the imagery of which evokes typically female virtues, probably was designed for a female patron. The two oval vignettes contrast the frugality and modesty of the woman shown at her needlework beside a simple basket, with the luxurious possessions of her companion, who sits amid piles of coins and lavish jewelry. Prudence, identifiable by her usual attributes of a snake and mirror, reclines at the top.
Salviati surrounded himself with a group of collaborators, themselves excellent draftsmen, who were capable of perfectly rendering the master's style. They may have assisted on this sheet.