Innocence and Justice
1732 - 1806
Jean-Honoré Fragonard
French
The symbolical figure of Innocence sits at the left heavily draped, turned one quarter right, holding a dove in her hands, which are at her right side; the figure of justice sits at the right, heavily draped, turned one quarter right, with her head in profile; she holds the scales in her left hand and by her right side is an ostrich.
The figure with a dove is copied from the symbolical figure of Innocence who sits at the left of Leo I in Giulio Romano's fresco in the Sala di Constantino. The one at the right is copied from Justice who sits to the left of Pope Urban in the same room. Justice appears in reverse in the second series of aquatints for the Saint-Non publication (pl. 60) in the center of the page, with a figure of Polidoro at either side. The legend is "Frago del . . . Saint Non Sc. 1772."
Black chalk on off-white antique laid paper, framing lines in brown ink, laid down on cream card