Artwork
Just Judges
Just Judges is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Michiel Coxie. It dates from 1557 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1557, *Just Judges* is an oil painting by Flemish artist Michiel Coxie the Elder. Executed during the Northern Renaissance, the work is part of the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. It depicts a procession of mounted figures against a landscape that includes a castle perched on a hill, rendered with the period’s characteristic attention to detail.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a group of men in richly coloured garments, each astride a horse, all gazing in the same direction as if embarking on a collective mission. Their attire—hats, capes, and elaborately decorated saddles—suggests a formal or judicial function, aligning with the title’s reference to judges and implying a scene of authority or civic duty.
Technique & Style
Coxie employs the fine brushwork and naturalistic modeling typical of the Northern Renaissance, achieving a high degree of realism in the textures of fabric, metal harnesses, and animal flesh. The layered glazing of oil paint creates depth in the sky and foliage, while intricate patterns on clothing and tack demonstrate the artist’s skill in rendering decorative detail.
History & Provenance
Michiel Coxie, active in major Flemish cities, served as court painter to Emperor Charles V and later to King Philip II of Spain. *Just Judges* entered the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium’s holdings, where it remains on display, reflecting the artist’s prominence in 16th‑century courtly patronage.
Context
The painting belongs to a period when Flemish artists combined meticulous observation with religious and civic themes. Coxie’s background in designing stained glass, tapestries, and prints informs the work’s complex composition and vivid colour palette, situating it within the broader visual culture of the Habsburg Netherlands.
Artist & collection
Artist
Michiel Coxie the Elder, Michiel Coxcie the Elder or Michiel van Coxcie, Latinised name Coxius (1499 – 3 March 1592), was a Flemish painter of altarpieces and portraits, a draughtsman and a designer of stained-glass windows, tapestries and…
Museum
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
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