Allegory of Temperance

In the rooms dedicated to the painters of the 16th century, three canvases stand out depicting the allegories of Prudence, Faith and Temperance, attributed for stylistic reasons to Giovan Maria Butteri, a pupil of Agnolo Bronzino, and dating back to 1590. They are the only survivors of a lost cycle of Allegories of virtues.
Depicted as elegant and sinuous female figures, the three virtues are represented with their traditional attributes. Here the Temperance raises a jug of gold with its right hand and pours water into a cup it holds with its other hand. The moving drapery dress is green, golden, with a few touches of pink, which also recalls the serene woman's cheek colour. The cup and jug may refer to a mixture of hot and cold water, or when tempering water and wine to dampen the effects of intoxication. 
Next to this painting there are two others. They include Prudence, depicted with a mirror that refers to self-knowledge, which firmly grabs a snake because the Sacred Scriptures invite us to be ‘”prudent as snakes”, while Faith is marked by the Christian symbols of the cross, chalice and host. The allegories are inspired in clothing by classic models, in accordance with the custom of referring to the past and the fashion of the day. The uniform niche background underlines its statuary poses, made dynamic by its sinuous and sharp lines and cool and changing colours, dazzled by a strong light.
The use of this type of representation, used since medieval times, was still popular in the 16th century, to the extent that in 1593 Cesare Ripa published the Iconologia, a collection of images accompanied by allegorical figures.