Administered by United States Capitol Architect of the Capitol Washington District of Columbia
Located United States Supreme Court 1 First Street, N.E East facade Washington District of Columbia 20543
Date:
1935
Notes:
Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985
Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 69.
Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey, 1994.
Michael Richman, SAAM curatorial assistant, 1967-1969.
Goode, James M., "Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capitol," Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, no. 1.22.
Image on file.
Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, A-21.
Goode, James M., "Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capitol," Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, no. 1.22.
The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.
Summary:
Relief figures on the pediment illustrate the contributions of Eastern and Mediterranean civilizations to the development of the law. In the center is a seated figure of Moses, with the tablets of Hebraic law held in each hand. To the left is a standing figure of Confucius, the great lawgiver of China; on the other side is a standing figure of Solon, master codifier of Greek law. On the left of the central grouping there is a kneeling man holding a child with his proper right hand and the Roman symbol of authority, fasces, over his proper left shoulder. He symbolizes the means of enforcing the law. On the right of the central grouping there is a kneeling woman also holding a child and fasces. She symbolizes the tempering justice with mercy. Soldiers carrying shields flank these two figures. The soldier on the left represents the settlement of disputes between states through enlightened judgment while the soldier on the right represents the protection of maritime and other rights by the Supreme Court. The soldiers are flanked by reclining figures. On the left, a reclining woman represents the study and pondering of judgment, and right, a reclining man illustrates the high character of the Supreme Court. In the corner of the left side of the pediment is a hare and in the corner of the right side is a tortoise. They symbolize the slow but sure course of Justice.