Nieuwjaarswens voor aartshertog Matthias, 1580 1579 - 1580

This 1580 engraving, a New Year's wish for Archduke Matthias, presents us with Justice and Peace at its center, beneath the watchful dove of the Holy Spirit. Justice, sword in hand and scales in balance, embodies moral rectitude, an echo of classical depictions of Themis and Dike. But consider the deeper currents: this figure of Justice, so central here, reappears across epochs. We see her in ancient Roman statuary, then in Renaissance allegories. Yet, her essence remains a persistent call for order and equilibrium. She is a manifestation of humanity's yearning for a moral compass. Note also the crushed weapons at Justice’s feet. This motif of discarded arms appears in varied contexts, from ancient victory monuments to contemporary peace symbols. It speaks to the cyclical hope for the end of conflict, a desire deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. The subconscious pull of these symbols engages us, reminding us that history, like the psyche, is never truly linear. These images recur, transformed yet familiar, each time reigniting dormant emotions.