The Second Era: The Law of the Old Testament - Hieronymus Wierix

A detailed 16th-century Flemish engraving by Hieronymus Wierix, depicting the personification of the Law of the Old Testament with symbolic iconography.

This engraving by Hieronymus Wierix, a member of the prolific Antwerp family of printmakers, depicts the personification of the Law of the Old Testament. The central figure sits upon a tiered throne, with each step inscribed with the names of the tribes of Israel. She holds a sword in her right hand and a tablet inscribed with the Decalogue in her left, representing the authority and divine origin of the Mosaic Law.

The composition is typical of the late sixteenth-century Flemish style, characterised by dense hatching and a clear, didactic arrangement of symbolic elements. To the left, the presence of God is indicated by a radiant light and the Hebrew tetragrammaton, while the background shows scenes of the wilderness and the encampment of the Israelites. The right side of the print contrasts this with a more turbulent scene, suggesting the consequences of disobedience to the law. Wierix demonstrates his technical skill through the varied line work used to define the heavy folds of the figure's drapery and the atmospheric effects of the clouds and smoke.

This work belongs to a series exploring the different eras of human history in relation to divine law. The inclusion of trilingual text at the bottom, in Dutch, Latin, and French, indicates that this print was intended for a broad, educated audience across Europe. The precision of the engraving reflects the high standards of the Antwerp print trade during this period, where such works were widely circulated as both devotional aids and intellectual exercises. The figure's stern expression and the rigid geometry of the throne reinforce the themes of order, justice, and the weight of moral responsibility inherent in the Old Testament narrative.