Sol Iustitiae (Bartsch 79; Meder, Hollstein 73; Schoch, Mende, Scherbaum 23)

Details

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
Sol Iustitiae
(Bartsch 79; Meder, Hollstein 73; Schoch, Mende, Scherbaum 23)
engraving, circa 1499, with part of a High Crown watermark (M. 20), a fine Meder a impression, trimmed to or on the platemark, with thread margins in places, in very good condition
S. 4 3/16 x 3 1/16 in. (106 x 78 mm.)

Provenance

Paul Prouté (born 1887), Paris (L. 2103c).

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Lot Essay

This curious image of a young man seated on a lion, holding a sword and scales, with rays of light shining from his eyes, is not simply an allegory of justice, but also a depiction of Christ as sun-god and universal judge, with the lion as the astrological symbol of the sun. It is a fascinating combination of Christian principles, pagan iconography and astrology, which had co-existed, merged and survived until Dürer's time.

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