Allegory on the City of Gouda

In the center stands Minerva with a spear and a shield bearing the head of Medusa. An owl sits on the shield. In her left hand she holds a laurel wreath, and with her right hand she receives or gives money to the young man before her. The scene is framed in an ornamental border. Above the scene sits the winged Fame with a trumpet and a palm branch. On the upper left sits the personification of Faith in the form of a woman with a flame on her head, standing by two stone tables. She holds a document in her hand. To the right of Fame sits Justice. On the lower left, a putto stands with a snake and a mirror, symbols of caution, on a floral medallion containing Aesculapius, the god of medicine. On the right stands a putto pouring water from one jug into another as a symbol of temperance. He stands on a floral medallion containing a woman with a mirror, compass, and ruler, possibly the personification of geometry or astronomy. In the center below is the coat of arms of Gouda.