Personification of Justice c. 1640

Guercino's "Personification of Justice" is a pen and ink drawing, small in scale, yet filled with ideas about the role of law in the 17th century. Made in Italy, this image participates in a long tradition of representing abstract concepts like Justice in human form. What’s interesting here is not just the figure herself, draped in classical garb, but the way she holds the scales. Traditionally, Justice is blindfolded, impartial. But Guercino’s Justice looks, she considers. What does it mean to show Justice as an active participant, rather than a passive arbiter? It perhaps reflects the social and political realities of Guercino's time, where justice was often influenced by those in power. To understand this further, we can look to legal and political documents of the period. We might also examine the patronage system that shaped artistic production, to understand how artists like Guercino negotiated these complex social dynamics.