Faith and Justice Enthroned

Floating on a throne of clouds, the figures Justice and Faith look down on three putti who hold up an empty scroll. One of the virtues, Justice, sits on the left, holding the scales in one hand as a symbol of her impartiality. Between her knees lies a fasces, a bundle of wooden rods enclosing an ax, used by ancient Roman magistrates as an emblem. On the right sits Faith, with light shining from her head. Holding the key to the church in one hand and a crosier and model of a church in the other, she wears a papal tiara to protect her from the attack of heretics.

Carlo Maratti made the drawing as a preparatory study, in reverse, for the upper left corner of a large map of Rome. When it was published in 1676, the scroll held by the putti contained a dedication to the newly elected Pope Innocent XI.