Early Lady Justice Engraving
Circa 1800 - Frame: 8 x 6¼ inches; sight: 6½ x 4⅞ inches
 
A rare engraving depicting Lady Justice enthroned, holding scales and a sword as emblems of balance and authority. At her feet rests a serpent, while behind her rises a monumental column surmounted by an eagle and inscribed “Independence of America,” an unusually explicit invocation of national sovereignty in the visual language of the early republic.
 
The composition unites classical allegory with distinctly American symbolism, aligning the identity of the young republic with enduring ideals of law, justice, and independence. Despite extensive research, no directly comparable example has been identified in standard references, suggesting the rarity of both the image and its highly developed symbolic program.
 
Condition: Very fine.