Lady of Justice
Artist
Jan R. Mitchell
Year1993
Classification
sculpture
Medium
bronze
Dimensions72 x 26 x 32 in. (182.9 x 66 x 81.3 cm)
Credits
Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
- Jan R. Mitchell's "Lady of Justice", at the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, is a bronze sculpture of the Greek mythological goddess, Themis. Commonly known as Justice, Themis holds the scales of justice in her left hand, while trying to balance them with her right. Mitchell provides a modern interpretation of Justice, by representing her as an island market woman, which is not only identifiable in the Virgin Islands, but also in the Caribbean as a whole. Mitchell adapted Justice in order to represent the culture of the island, as she depicts Justice dressed in contemporary clothing-short sleeved shirt, knee length skirt, headscarf and sandals.
Although Mitchell's image of Justice has been tailored for a specific location, the bronze is characteristic of Neoclassicism in many ways. The work inspires morality, with the theme of justice and democracy, which is associated with the democracy of ancient Greece. Additionally, Lady of Justice stands in a calm and slight contrappasto pose, and the smooth texture and crisp contours of the sculpture adds grace to the work and the theme.
"Lady of Justice" serves as a reminder of society's civic duty to provide justice to all and provides the citizens of the Virgin Islands a figure in which they can relate to and represents their culture.
According to the artist, the piece weighs approximately 300 pounds.
