Allegory of the Second Bench of Aldermen of ‘Gedele’, 1627 - 1628

In 1627 the town council of Ghent commissioned this monumental painting by the painter Theodoor Rombouts of Antwerp. It was intended for the Alderman’s courtroom of ‘Gedele’. The Second Bench of Aldermen was similar to our present justice of the peace court and also the competent authority for the care of orphans. The figures in this allegory are a tribute to those who commissioned the work and to the city of Ghent. At the top, seated on a throne, is the Virgin of Ghent with the lion of Ghent at her feet. Next to her are five orphans and on the stairs four judges are seated on either side. They symbolise the Second Bench of Aldermen. The women in the centre symbolise the three virtues, namely Strength, who has her arm around a column, Wisdom, who is holding a magnifying glass while busily writing, and Temperance, who is pouring water into the wine. The soldiers in the left foreground are supposed to maintain order. On the right is the River Scheldt, represented by the figure of a naked man with a horn of plenty and a pitcher of water. The woman on his right, with the dragon spouting water, represents the River Lys, the second river to bring prosperity to the city of Ghent.