Justice

A classically draped woman sits within an architectural frame, lifting a balanced set of scales to eye level. Beside her stands a large ostrich, a traditional attribute symbolizing the slow and careful deliberation required for a fair judgment. This figure is notably executed in oil on the wall, a technique Raphael was experimenting with in the Sala di Costantino shortly before his death.

Justice is a primary cardinal virtue in the Neoplatonic and Aristotelian systems, representing the perfect balance of the soul and the state. The inclusion of the ostrich draws upon Renaissance 'hieroglyphical' traditions which asserted that the bird's feathers were of perfectly equal length, making it an emblem of equity and impartial judgment.