I represented a swollem with self-esteem character of Judge, puffed up with his own importance. His finger moved from accusation to domination. We can notice that this judge is steadily stressed on his law book. This character of Judge whom expression is very typical,has been set by other characters smaller than him. Each of the three characters of the plinth represents one of the symbol of the Justice : the balance, the sword and the bandage. But, of course, throught the prism of Vanities, all is reversed. Usually, Justice is blindfolded ; here, on the contrary, the character who has the bandage is on tiptoe and trys to look the further he  can. The other symbols are also reversed : the sword is no more ready to slice but seems to be a crutch, the balance is definitely thrown off.

You can notice how much the characters are suitable with the symbol they represent.

Far from being inspired by good things as should be a normal Judge, this Judge is inspiered by an allegory of Death who whirls around his head and who advises him on one hand and stroke him like a dog on the other hand.

I invite you to notice the delicacy with which this allegory is treated. For this sort of realization, Michel  Levy used different founding techniques and notably founding of jewelery.

Text

« And more over I saw under the sun the place of judgment that wickedness was there, and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. Isaid in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked : for ther is a time there for evry purpose and every work. » (Ecclesiaste)

This is the first sculpture that I realized on Vanities. This is a derision of the equestrian statue of Louis the XIV^th  which is one of the most beautiful work raised to a man’s glory. But, instead of riding a horse, the character is seat down on a skinny and pot-bellied goat whom he crushes with his weight. He holds his Commender’s stick in his hand and the interest of this sculpture comes from the dissociation between the haughtly posture and the ridiculous scenery.

You can notice the humor of the difference between flaccid fleshes of the character and the bony and angular bottom of the goat. There is a medaillon symbolizing the Glory through three Graces holdind a crown of flowers at the back of the plinth.

It happens that people having a very important social rôle in our society bought this sculpture as if they wanted – from the height where they stand – not to fall in this vanity and to have something  under their eyes to remind them of it.