Allegory of Justice depicting a street scene with a shepherd giving a sheet of paper to a judge at left, who rejects it, from Thronus Justitiae, tredecim pulcherrimus tabulis..., plate 11 1605

This engraving by Willem van Swanenburg, titled 'Allegory of Justice,' was created in the Netherlands in the early 17th century. It presents a street scene where a shepherd offers a document to a judge, who promptly rejects it. The image critiques the judicial institutions of the time. Notice how the judge, surrounded by armed guards, dismisses the shepherd’s plea. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the inaccessibility of justice for the common person. The architectural backdrop and the figures' costumes, while classical in style, serve to highlight the contemporary social issues. To understand this print fully, one would delve into the social and legal history of the Dutch Republic. Examining legal documents, political pamphlets, and other visual representations of justice from the period would enrich our comprehension. Art like this gains its full meaning when we explore its social and institutional contexts.