Vultus trifrons or an Allegory of Prudence
Pacio Bertini da Firenze|Giovanni Bertini da Firenze|Tino da Camaino
ca. 1340–55 · Carrara marble · Robert Lehman Collection
The three faces on this small bust, a fragment from a larger monument, represent the cardinal virtue Prudence. Prudence's three natures (memory, intelligence, and providence) are represented by a crowned face shown at different stages of life. This personification thus conflates Prudence with the concept of the Ages of Man. The merging of the notions of virtue and the human life cycle coincided with a more nuanced understanding of human nature as well as a focus on the individual.
- Artist
- Pacio Bertini da Firenze|Giovanni Bertini da Firenze|Tino da Camaino
- Date
- ca. 1340–55
- Medium
- Carrara marble
- Department
- Robert Lehman Collection
- Credit line
- Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
