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About This Work
A woman labeled Bona Causa runs through a gauntlet of men in 16th-century legal and academic attire who strike at her with long poles. These men represent the systemic failures of the law, labeled as false witnesses, negligent procurators, and unjust judges. In the background, the winged figure of Victory waits with a laurel wreath, signifying the difficult path truth must take to reach a successful verdict.
This print reflects the moral and philosophical concerns of the Haarlem Mannerists, specifically the circle of Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert, who emphasized personal ethics and the corruption of earthly institutions. It illustrates the Neoplatonic and humanist struggle of the 'Good' (Agathos) trying to navigate a fallen, material world governed by human vice.