Description The Justice of Trajan and Herkinbald

a detail justice of trajan , herkinbald tapestry showing herkinbald slaying nephew.



a detail, believed portrait of van der weyden, justice of trajan , herkinbald tapestry, dating around 1450, in historical museum of bern.

each panel eleven feet in height , spanned distance of thirty 5 feet. theme of panels justice safeguarded divine intervention. legends of trajan , herkinbald appear occur first time in 1308 in alphabetum narrationum (alphabet of tales), collection of on 800 tales attributed arnold of liége (previously etienne de besançon) arranged themes , intended used basis homilies. theme iustitia (justice) included these 2 legends, although legend of trajan given in different version depicted in paintings , tapestry.

the first panel showed widow begging justice trajan murder of son , trajan ordering execution of soldier accused woman (in tale in alphabetum narrationum, trajan offered widow son replacement murdered son). second panel depicted story in golden legend of pope gregory s miraculous resurrection , conversion of trajan, releasing him purgatory. gregory shown holding trajan s exhumed skull, in tongue has been miraculously preserved , able utter death sentence, demonstrating justness of sentence. van der weyden known have portrayed himself bystander in scene. third panel depicted herkinbald on death bed slitting throat of nephew, had committed rape. fourth panel showed herkinbald miraculously receiving host, despite refusing confess slaying of nephew sinful act.

both nicholas of cusa (in 1453) , dubuisson-aubenay (in 1620s) mentioned work contained self-portrait, thought faithfully reproduced in herkinbald slaying nephew passage.