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Marinus van Reymerswaele (Dutch, 1490-1546), The Lawyer's Office, 1545. Oil on wood. New Orleans Museum of Art, Museum Purchase through the Ella West Freeman Foundation Matching Fund.
Paintings by masters of Northern Renaissance realism often recorded official contracts or acts, and The Lawyer’s Office is a remarkable example of this practice. Recent research has demonstrated that the documents, which form the background of the painting, refer to an actual lawsuit begun in 1526
in the town of Reymerswaele on the North Sea. The suit arose between three heirs of Anthonius Willem Bouwensz and Cornelius vander Maere, the latter having purchased a salt refinery from the heirs of Anthonius. Difficulties began when Cornelius vander Maere refused to make the initial payment and had his goods seized. The legal transactions lasted until 1538, by which time the
property under dispute had probably been submerged or destroyed by storms. Ironically, the court fees still had to be paid. Several versions of the composition exist in Munich, Amsterdam, Cologne, and Brussels. While the New Orleans version is apparently the last in the series, it is painted with
the greatest detail, thus clearly revealing the documents in the lawsuit.
