Rechter omringd door herinneringen aan zijn studententijd c. 1836 - 1876

This lithograph was made by Carel Christiaan Antony Last, and is titled "Rechter omringd door herinneringen aan zijn studententijd". The judge in the center is surrounded by memories of his student days. We can see him in a number of scenes, playing pranks, drinking, and generally causing mischief. Above him we see Lady Justice, a figure of blind impartiality. This image was made in the Netherlands, and this was a time of great social change. The old order was being challenged by new ideas about democracy and individual rights. The image is very critical of the legal system, and suggests that judges are not always as impartial as they should be. To fully understand the image, we need to do more research into the history of the Dutch legal system, the social customs of the time, and the artist's own biography. We can look at contemporary newspapers, legal documents, and personal letters to get a better sense of the world in which this image was made.