Prudence and Justice 1537

Curator: Cornelis Bos, active in the 16th century, crafted this engraving titled "Prudence and Justice." Note how Bos intertwines these concepts visually. Editor: The detail is incredible! And yet, there's something unsettling about it, a kind of coldness despite the obvious skill. Curator: It is striking. Justice, blindfolded, holds scales, while Prudence has a serpent, symbols we still recognize today. They seem to be judging a third, framed face. Editor: That face looks almost like a death mask. Is Bos suggesting that judgment, even when tempered by prudence, inevitably involves a kind of death, a letting go? Curator: That's a fascinating interpretation. Bos, working in a time of intense religious and political upheaval, might be suggesting that even these virtues can be wielded to oppressive ends. Editor: It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Are any of our ideals truly neutral? Looking at this print, I'm not so sure.