Strength, Vigilance and Prudence 1582

Alessandro Allori created this fresco of ‘Strength, Vigilance and Prudence.’ Note how Allori arranges the figures in a triangular configuration, a common compositional technique during the Renaissance. The eye is drawn to the central, seated figure, likely representing Prudence. To her left, Strength is symbolized by a woman in armor, hand resting on a lion, while to her right, Vigilance is depicted as a figure holding a radiating sun, acting as a warning sign. The painting employs a semiotic system, where elements like the mirror held by Prudence, and the lion representing Strength, are not merely decorative but are signs within a symbolic order. The use of allegorical figures engages with philosophical traditions that link visual symbols to moral concepts. It invites us to think about how such images functioned within the social and intellectual context of Renaissance Florence, not just as art, but as components of a broader cultural discourse about power.