The art of law
Subtitle: three centuries of justice depicted
By: editorial team, Stefan Huygebaert [and three others] ; texts by Matthias Desmet [and eleven others]
Contributors: Groeningemuseum
Publisher: Lannoo Publishers
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 205
ISBN-13: 9789401440417
Subjects: Law in art; Exhibitions; Justice in art
Description: During the late-medieval period, law courts frequently commissioned paintings to grace their Aldermen chambers. Among the favourite themes were the so-called exempla iustitiae, examples of 'good' and 'bad' justice, derived from Biblical, historical and legendary tales. It was not until the Renaissance that the well-known image of Lady Justice took shape, recognised by her scales, sword and blindfold. In this book, depictions of the Last Judgement and other justice scenes, as well as allegories and visualisations of (sometimes gruesome) torture and execution practices are placed within an art-historical and legal-historical context. The authors' approaches to the highly popular theme of law and justice will appeal to both experts and novices with the subjects. For the exhibition, more than 120 works from Belgian and international collections, including private collections, are brought together, with masterpieces from Bruges forming the core of the exhibition.
Notes: Catalog of an exhibition held at Groeningemuseum, Bruges, October 28, 2016-February 5, 2017.

Includes bibliographical references.