An allegory of summer (?): a girl holding an earthenware pot with flowers

We are grateful to Professor Minna Heimbürger who has confirmed that the present lot belongs to a series which was executed by the artist for Giovanni Carlo Savorgnan (in a letter dated 12th October 1999). According to Baldinucci, Keil spent nearly his entire sojourn at Savorgnan's Palazzo in Venice (1652-54) where he painted many of the decorations (F. Baldinucci, Delle Notizie de Proffessori del disegno da Cimabue in qua, VI, Florence, 1728, p. 512).
In her monograph on the artist Professor Heimbürger lists eight other tondi of similar dimensions which were probably painted for Savorgnan's Palazzo (M. Heimbürger, Bernardo Keilhau, detto Monsu' Bernardo, Rome, 1988 , nos.34, 51-57, illustrated). Professor Heimbürger also suggests that the tondi series depict allegories of either the seasons, the elements or the times of day.