A regal Mary (or Wisdom?), as the Church of the Last Judgement, flanked by angels. Line engraving by T. de Leu.

Bible. Apocrypha. Wisdom of Solomon 7.26. O.T. Proverbs 8.16; Revelations 5.2; 21.9, 23. Mary, as Queen of Heaven, holds the world in her right hand, while the book with the seven seals rests on her lap; in her left hand she holds the tablet of the Law. On her breastplate are designs of the sun and moon

In the apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon, "imago bonitatis illius" refers to wisdom, spoken of in the feminine, as the image of God's goodness. The quotation from Proverbs, "by me princes rule, and nobles and even all the judges of the earth", also refers to wisdom. Evidently, Mary, as the church, also represents wisdom in its feminine form

1 print : line engraving ; border 12.1 x 17.1 cm.

Imago bonitatis illius Sap. Cap. VII. Per me principes imperant, et potentes decernunt iustitiam. Proverb VIII. Thomas de Leu. ecx.

Not found in: A.P.F. Robert-Dumesnil, Le peintre-graveur français, vol. 10, Paris 1868 pp. 1-168 (list of works engraved and published by Thomas de Leu)

Wellcome Collection 15545i