"Do Not Give Your Right Hand to All and Sundry" [fol. 13 recto]

The image functions as an allegory, employing symbolic figures and gestures to warn against indiscriminate generosity. The central motif of a right hand being offered—or withheld—serves as a visual proverb, reflecting contemporary moral teachings that cautioned viewers to exercise discernment in the distribution of favors and resources.

Rendered with a single brown ink pen, the drawing relies on line, hatching, and cross‑hatching to model forms and suggest texture on the characteristic laid paper surface. The linear precision and restrained palette are typical of early Renaissance draftsmanship, where emphasis on clarity of idea often outweighed ornamental coloration.

Created in the early 1500s, the piece emerges from the broader Renaissance movement that revived classical learning and moral philosophy. Allegorical drawings such as this were commonly used for didactic purposes, circulating among educated circles as visual aids for sermons, treatises, or private contemplation on ethical conduct.