Justice, frontispiece from the "Seven Deadly Sins" 1545 - 1560

Curator: So, here we have "Justice, frontispiece from the Seven Deadly Sins," a 16th-century engraving by Léon Davent, residing here at the Met. Editor: Whoa, a little intense! Justice looks...rather imposing, a stern figure with a raised sword, not exactly comforting. And all those writhing figures beneath? Quite the statement. Curator: It's certainly meant to be impactful! Davent used engraving—a demanding intaglio process—to depict a scene rife with symbolic meaning. The central figure of Justice, of course, stands atop a globe, quite literally reigning over earthly affairs. Note how the masses of people writhe in a complex, intertwined composition, alluding to sin. Editor: I'm interested in the materiality of it, the metal plate Davent painstakingly etched, the ink, and the pressure involved in pulling these prints. Each one is a physical act, repeated over and over. It raises questions about access to such imagery back then, and who could even afford it. Engravings like these served as both propaganda and a portable medium. Curator: Indeed. The allegorical figures surrounding Justice represent virtues and vices battling for control, adding another layer to the narrative. It’s thought this image was used as an introductory plate for a series depicting each sin. Knowing that, you begin to unpack so much drama! Editor: The circle, too, is significant; it evokes coins and medals, items designed to spread political ideas during the time. So, while it references something abstract like "Justice," it's also rooted in a very material world. Plus, look at the line work, so finely done that it seems almost impossible when considering the hand involved! Curator: Seeing it with that lens reveals something extraordinary. Thinking of that slow, deliberate process adds gravitas. Editor: It highlights the labor of communicating such "grand ideas", reducing concepts of justice to something touchable and reproducible. It wasn't just floating up in the ether; ink hit paper in a room somewhere to share and influence others.