Willem van Swanenburgh

Willem van Swanenburgh was a printmaker whose active career spanned the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, documented specifically between 1595 and 1607. His extant works demonstrate a concentration on prints dealing with themes of moral philosophy, jurisprudence, and historical accounts of justice.

Fifteen of Willem van Swanenburgh's prints are represented in major international museum collections, establishing his legacy as a noteworthy figure in early modern printmaking. The most cohesive body of work centers on the series Thrones of Justice (Thronus Iustitiae), a set dedicated to illustrating various forms and principles of judicial authority. Specific works from this series include Allegory of Justice, plate 11 from Thrones of Justice (Thronus Iustitiae), Areopagite Judges of Athens, plate 8 from Thrones of Justice (Thronus Iustitiae), and the related Allegory of Justice, Sanctity of Law, plate 12 from Thrones of Justice (Thronus Iustitiae).

The artist also addressed biblical themes regarding governance, exemplified by the print The Judgment of Solomon. These historical and allegorical high-quality prints are preserved in significant institutions, including the National Gallery of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. The presence of his work in these collections ensures that many of the historical images produced by Swanenburgh are now considered public domain, often available as downloadable artwork for scholarly review.