Justice (Justicia) from The Virtues
Original title: Justice (Justicia) from The Virtues
kurzbeschreibung
Philips Galle's personification of Justice, Justicia, from the series The Virtues, dates to around 1559–60 and survives as an engraving. Justicia appears with sword and scales on a pedestal, surrounded by scenes of legal judgment and commerce.
Description
Justicia stands in the foreground on a pedestal inscribed 'JUSTICIA', dressed in a rich robe and holding a sword and scales as emblems of justice. To her left, a public execution takes place; to the right, a market stall with sellers and buyers. The layout grows denser with other figures engaged in various activities in the background, giving the print a layered structure.
Context
Galle made this sheet as part of a series on the virtues, a moral pictorial program often used in the Renaissance. The engraving was produced in the Netherlands, where Galle worked as an engraver and publisher. Such series were frequently realized after designs by other artists and circulated as sought-after collectibles.
Impact
At first the viewer is caught by the dense crowd of figures and scenes, which generates a lively, almost narrative tension. The calm, central figure of Justicia stands out against the bustle around her and reinforces her superior position.
Technique
For this engraving, lines were cut into a copper plate and then printed on paper. The even, fine linework yields clear contours and a detailed reproduction characteristic of Renaissance printmaking.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)