Painted on an impressive scale, The Emperor Trajan and the Widow is a large scale showpiece, and dramatically displays the scenographic and perspectival skills of Hans Vredeman de Vries. The work forms part of a group of six ambitious architectural paintings which utilize both interior and exterior scenes, all of which Vredeman de Vries produced between 1567-1572. In addition to the present panel, these include the Paul and Barnabas at Lystra of 1567, of similar dimensions to the present painting, in the Kunsthalle Bremen; the Palace Scene of 1568, again of a similar format, in the Bilbao Museum of Replica Handbags s; the enormous Massacre of the Roman Triumvirate, dated 1570, in the Musée Massey, Tarbes; and two versions of Lazarus and the Rich Man, one in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, datable to around 1570, and a variation dated 1572, in the Weserrenaissance-Museum, Lemgo. 

 The subject is taken from the story in the Golden Legend in which a widow begs the Emperor Trajan (98-117) for vengeance for the death of her son who was murdered by the son of the Emperor. Although Trajan gave up his own son to her, he was nevertheless condemned to Purgatory. John of Damascus (circa 655-745) in his De his qui in fide dormierunt tells us that five hundred years later Pope Gregory the Great (circa 540-604) was so distressed that the pagan emperor Trajan had been consigned to Purgatory that he prayed to God to have a special exception made. God heard Gregory’s prayer and Trajan was transferred to heaven.

This tale was popularized in the Middle Ages by Dante (1265-1321) in The Divine Comedy. As an allegory of Justice, the subject often makes a companion picture to the judgements of Solomon and of Daniel and these were often portrayed together in 15^th and 16^th century Netherlandish tapestry cycles. It had particular resonance for Vredeman de Vries as Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba (1507-1582) had instigated the Spanish Fury at.mes chelen in 1572 which began the Spanish occupation of the city. The artist, having moved there in 1549, was finally forced to flee circa 1585 seeking refuge in Aachen and Luik where Emperor Maximilian II (1527-1576) was exacting a more just rule.

A variation of the subject, which may have influenced Vredeman de Vries, was painted by Rogier van der Weyden for the 'Gulden Camere' (Golden Chamber) of the Brussels Town Hall in circa 1439, which was later destroyed in the French bombardment in 1695. The figures of the present picture were painted by Gillis Mostaert (1528-1598). A period replica of this picture is in the Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow (inv. no. GLAHA 43838).¹

1. See H. Borggrefe et al. 2002, p. 284, cat. no. 122, reproduced p. 285, fig. 122.