Justice 1306

Giotto painted this fresco of Justice in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. Here, Justice is embodied as a regal woman, holding scales, a symbol that stretches back to ancient Egypt, where the weighing of the heart determined one's fate in the afterlife. These scales are not merely tools for measuring; they are potent emblems of cosmic order. In her right hand, a figure kneels before an angel, receiving divine approval, while in her left, another is brutally executed. This dichotomy reflects our deepest fears and hopes, mirrored across cultures from the scales of Ma'at to the Archangel Michael weighing souls. The act of balancing itself speaks to a primal urge for equilibrium. The human psyche seeks balance, yet the scales are never perfectly still, embodying the constant tension between chaos and order. Justice is not static; it is a continuous process, ever shifting, ever seeking balance.