Based on density functional theory the influence of curvature on the
depletion potential of a single big hard sphere immersed in a fluid of small
hard spheres with packing fraction \eta_s either inside or outside of a hard
spherical cavity of radius R_c is calculated. The relevant features of this
potential are analyzed as function of \eta_s and R_c. There is a very slow
convergence towards the flat wall limit R_c \to \infty. Our results allow us to
discuss the strength of depletion forces acting near membranes both in normal
and lateral directions and to make contact with recent experimental results
