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Original fileSancta Iusticia
About This Work
Two large angels in the lower foreground hold the heraldic shields of Nuremberg, while a central shield is topped by an elaborate imperial crown. Above, seated among clouds, the figure of Justice holds a sword and scales, paired with a figure pouring coins from a vessel. The composition utilizes dense cross-hatching and fine line work characteristic of Dürer's mature woodcut style.
Commissioned for the 1521 'Reformation' of Nuremberg's city laws, this print illustrates the Renaissance ideal of a well-ordered state governed by divine and secular virtues. It reflects the humanist tradition of using classical personifications to provide a moral and philosophical foundation for civic administration.
Inscriptions
SANCTA IVSTICIA · 1521 ·
Translation
HOLY JUSTICE · 1521 ·
Connected Texts
Reformation der Stadt Nürnberg (1521)
This artwork was created as the title page illustration for this foundational text of Nuremberg city law.
Collections
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 246 mm x width 167 mm
allegory
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.