Justitia troont op sokkel tussen geestelijke en keizer, Romulus en Remus worden gezoogd door de wolf 1644

This engraving, made in 1644 by Cornelis van Dalen, depicts Justitia, or Lady Justice, enthroned with her scales and blindfold, symbols of impartiality. Note how the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, are suckled by a wolf at the base of the pedestal. This motif is ancient, found in Etruscan and Roman art, embodying Rome's foundational myth. The wolf, or lupa, a symbol of both ferocity and maternal care, suggests a primal, instinctual force at the heart of civilization. This archetype of the nurturing yet wild mother resurfaces across cultures – think of the she-wolf Akela in Kipling's "The Jungle Book". The survival and upbringing of Romulus and Remus by the wolf is a powerful image, tapping into our collective memory. Its continuous reappearance underscores a profound, often subconscious, yearning for primal connection and the protective, nurturing aspects of the natural world, even within the constructs of law and order. The emotional resonance of this image is lasting.