Justice
U.S. General Services Administration
- Justice is one of four bas-reliefs, or low reliefs, designed by Carl Paul Jennewein and executed by Anthony di Lorenzo. In his four reliefs, Jennewein employs Greek mythology and other symbolic devices to highlight virtues such as heroism, wisdom, and impartiality as important attributes in the pursuit of justice.
In 1933, they were installed on the ceiling of the first floor of the U.S. Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C. In Justice, a woman presents a man with a mask. Justice is often represented as a woman in classical dress, and the mask frequently symbolizes the vigilance required to see beyond deception. This relief draws a visual parallel to Jennewein’s other relief titled, State Protecting the Family, which also shows a male and female figure. In that work, Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, hands a blindfold to Perseus, a Greek hero who presents her with the head of Medusa. According to Greek mythology, Medusa had poisonous snakes for hair, and anyone who met her gaze turned to stone. By handing Perseus a blindfold, Athena directs him to cover the dangerous eyes of Medusa. The blindfold also carries a special significance as a symbol of Justice, who is often shown blindfolded to demonstrate her fairness.
