Allegory on Justice. Study for a Relief on the Liberty Memorial 1743 - 1809

This is Nicolai Abildgaard's "Allegory on Justice. Study for a Relief on the Liberty Memorial," made with pen and brown ink. The period in which Abildgaard lived was one of massive social upheaval, witnessing both the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Abildgaard places a male figure at the center of justice, seated on a throne, holding what appears to be a set square. This conflation of justice with male power can be seen as an endorsement of a specific social order. What does it mean to have justice personified as a muscular, winged man? Does that imply an association of justice with masculinity? This image also evokes questions about who has access to justice and who is excluded. Who gets to sit on the throne of judgement? The work is not just an abstract symbol, but a reflection of the complex interplay between power, representation, and social ideals.