Spirit of Justice
{{Short description|Cast aluminum statue depicting Lady Justice in the Department of Justice Building in Washington DC}}
{{For|the video game|Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice}}
{{Infobox artwork
| title = Spirit of Justice
| image_file = Sculpture Spirit of Justice Great Hall, 2nd floor, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720236.jpg
| painting_alignment =
| image_size =
| alt = woman, nude above waist, raises both arms above head.
| type = sculpture
| artist = C. Paul Jennewein
| year = {{Start date|1933}}
| catalogue =
| height_metric =
| width_metric =
| height_imperial = 150
| width_imperial =
| condition =
| city = Washington, D.C.
| museum =
| coordinates =
| owner = United States Department of Justice
| accession =
| url =
}}
Spirit of Justice is a 1933 cast aluminum statue depicting Lady Justice that stands on display along with its male counterpart Majesty of Justice in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Justice. The statue is of a woman wearing a toga-like dress with one breast revealed and arms raised and measures {{convert|12.5|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.
History
The statue was commissioned in 1933 at a cost of $7,275 ({{inflation|US|7275|1933|r=-2|fmt=eq}}), and was created by C. Paul Jennewein, who created a total of 57 sculptural elements for the building. Like most of the artwork and fixtures in the building, it is in an Art Deco style. Unlike many representations of Lady Justice, Spirit of Justice wears no blindfold, which is often utilized to symbolize blind justice.
The male statue, Majesty of Justice, is bare-chested.{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/24/AR2005062401797.html| title=Sculpted Bodies And a Strip Act At Justice Dept.| author= Dan Eggen| newspaper=The Washington Post| date= June 25, 2005 }}
The entrance to the Rayburn House Office Building also features a sculpture entitled The Majesty of the Law.
''Spirit of Justice'' and the Attorneys General
- In 1986, the statue was seen behind then–Attorney General Edwin Meese III as he discussed a report on pornography.{{Cite web|url=http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U86232023/edwin-meese-holding-final-reports|title = Royalty Free Stock Photos, Illustrations, Vector Art, and Video Clips - Getty Images}}
- In 2002, under John Ashcroft, curtains were installed blocking the statue from view during speeches. The curtains were first used on a rental basis during the administration of Dick Thornburgh.{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-06-24-doj-statue_x.htm | work=USA Today | title=Drapes removed from Justice Department statue | date=June 24, 2005}} Justice officials long insisted that the curtains were put up to improve the room's use as a television backdrop and that Ashcroft had nothing to do with it. Ashcroft's successor, Alberto Gonzales, removed the curtains in June 2005.{{cite news| url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20050625/statue25/spirit-of-justice-statue-exposed-in-all-her-glory | title='Spirit of Justice' statue exposed in all her glory | author=Mark Sherman | agency=The Associated Press |date=June 25, 2005}}
- On May 7, 2007, National Journal{{-'}}s "Inside Washington" column reported that it was Monica Goodling who ordered drapes to be placed over the partially nude Spirit of Justice statue during Ashcroft's tenure as Attorney General. At the time, the department spent $8,000 on blue drapes to hide the two aluminum statues, according to spokesman Shane Hix.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1788845.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Curtains for semi-nude justice statue | date=January 29, 2002}}
Popular culture
American singer-songwriter Tom Paxton wrote a humorous song entitled "John Ashcroft and the Spirit of Justice", inspired by the Attorney General's alleged covering of the statue, in 2002.{{cite web |url=http://www.tompaxton.com/download.html |title=Tom Paxton |access-date=2007-06-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703054937/http://tompaxton.com/download.html |archive-date=2007-07-03 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tompaxton.com/lyric_ashcroft.html |title=Tom Paxton - Short Shelf-life Songs |access-date=2007-12-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070728203653/http://www.tompaxton.com/lyric_ashcroft.html |archive-date=2007-07-28 }} Lyrics
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons category|Spirit of Justice}}
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4623239.stm "Curtains up on risque US statues"], BBC News
- [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/24/AR2005062401797.html "Sculpted Bodies and a Strip Act at Justice Dept"], The Washington Post
- {{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/11/us/briefing-meese-and-the-spirit.html|title=BRIEFING; Meese and the 'Spirit'|author1=Wayne King |author2=Warren Weaver Jr. |work=The New York Times |date=July 11, 1986}}
- {{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/01/29/statues.htm|title=Justice Department covers partially nude statues |work=USA Today |date=January 29, 2002}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spirit Of Justice}}
Category:1933 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Category:Aluminum sculptures in Washington, D.C.
Category:Art Deco sculptures and memorials
Category:Nude sculptures in the United States
Category:Sculptures of Roman goddesses