Effect of Good Government on City and Country by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.

The Effect of the Good Government on City and Country Life fresco illustrates the center of the city with all its beautiful buildings, undifferentiated architecturally, which establishes justice and the equality of the citizens. There is a school for the children of the city as well as shops for the city’s traders and merchants who can be seen busily at work.  In the background, one can see men working hard on roofs of buildings.  Everybody is busying himself or herself to keep the city running smoothly.  In the middle foreground the dancing young women probably represent the nine Muses symbolizing beauty and justice.

The picture above shows the right hand side of the long fresco depicting the countryside outside the city walls, where Lorenzetti has painted farm workers in the fields, harvesting the crops as well as an abundance of livestock, illustrating that food was plentiful in this well governed city. 

Hovering above the city walls is the personification of Security, holding a small gallows in one hand and a scroll in the other.  The text on the scroll promises safety to all who live under the rule of law and the gallows acts as a reminder to those who do not obey the rule of law.

Cited: “Effect of Good Government on City and Country by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.” N.p., 13 Feb. 2011. Web.