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From 1938 onwards, six bronze statues of historical jurists adorned the platform of the Supreme Court on the Plein. The six bronzes were made by six different sculptors. One of them, Oswald Wenckebach, was a little more refined than his colleagues, who were also all well-known sculptors, in exploring the boundaries of what was permitted. Although he maintained the presumably prescribed seated pose, he portrayed Joan Melchior Kemper with a touch of irony as an intellectual, a thinker. Slightly slumped, contemplative, head in hand. Possibly Wenckebach was referring to the Hague sculpture of the philosopher Spinoza from 1880.

Wenckebach did not shy away from experimentation. Especially in his work after 1945, he tried to give a new, expressive form to traditional data. In this way, he created a contemporary version of the academic statues from the 19th century. His portrayal of Kemper seems to be a forerunner of this.

Kemper (1776-1824) was a great statesman and jurist. He stood at the cradle of Dutch law. He also played an important role in the rise to power of King William I in 1813. He wrote the proclamation proclaiming William I as king. Originally, his statue was part of the 'total work of art' that Chief Government Architect G.C. Bremer made at the end of the 1930s of the obsolete Supreme Court building from 1861. Both the interior and exterior were decorated.

However, this building was demolished to make way for the expansion of the Lower House. The statues escaped the demolition hammer and were moved to Kazernestraat in 1988. On the little square there, they hardly showed themselves to full advantage. The move to the new building on Lange Voorhout in 2016 solved that problem. They now stand prominently in front of the Supreme Court again. Just as it should be.