Vierde ontwerp voor marmerdecoratie in de Hoge Raad te Den Haag c. 1868 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst designed this fourth design for marble decoration in the High Council of The Hague. This draft exists as a silent witness to the institutional spaces where justice is dispensed. The design encapsulates the artist's vision, steeped in the cultural and intellectual currents of the time. Consider how the figures, frozen in their allegorical poses, might suggest a rigid interpretation of law, yet the scales of justice at the composition's heart imply a need for equilibrium and fairness. The artist's choice of marble, a material associated with permanence and authority, underscores the gravity of the judicial process. "Here comes the trial" it reads below one set of figures, and "Hugo the Great in Sight" on the other side, suggesting a tension between the personal stories and the wider sweep of history. This piece is more than just a decoration; it is an invitation to reflect on the narratives we construct around justice, and the delicate balance between individual lives and institutional power.