The Judge

Hans Lützelburger after Hans Holbein the Younger

National Gallery of Art

The image shows three figures in a room with decorated paneling in the background. The first figure on the left is partially turned away from the viewer, with their body seen from the back and their head turned slightly to the right. This person appears to be holding a scythe-like object. Next to them is a skeletal figure, also partially turned, with a bony hand resting on the shoulder of the central figure. The central figure is sitting on a block, their entire body visible. They are dressed in a voluminous robe with fur trim and a cap. This figure is gesturing with one hand towards the third figure. The third figure is standing to the right, fully visible, dressed in a tunic with a belt and a cap, holding a dish or hat in front of them. The background suggests an interior setting with a tiled or patterned floor, and there is an hourglass lying on its side on the ground in the foreground.