Justitia zittend op haar troon 1712

This print, "Justitia zittend op haar troon", was made by Willem de Broen in the early 18th century. It's an engraving, meaning the image was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, with a tool called a burin. Consider the labor involved. Each line, each minute detail of Justitia's robes, the scales, the lion – all were painstakingly carved by hand. The quality of the print depended entirely on the engraver's skill and precision. The fine, closely-spaced lines create areas of tone and shadow, giving the image depth and form. Prints like this were crucial for disseminating ideas and images in an age before photography. This particular image relates to the writings of Hugo Grotius on law, and would have been reproduced in large numbers, and the relatively modest scale would mean that the print maker had to produce it by hand. The social context of this print reflects a world increasingly governed by codified laws and systems of justice, all enabled by laborious work.