“Representing Justice is a fascinating and ambitious study of the iconography of justice and what it reveals about attitudes towards a just society, impartiality and authority, from the Renaissance to the Mexican Muralists. In this engaging and eminently readable book, the authors show how emblems, icons and courthouses vividly embody the fundamentally democratic process of adjudication.”—Ruth Weisberg, Roski School of Fine Arts, University of Southern California
“How did a blindfolded lady holding scales became the ubiquitous image of justice? How have designs and decorations of spaces defined and redefined adjudication? Assembling monumental research, Resnik and Curtis powerfully show how images and buildings reflect and shape local and international justice across human history and how privatized dispute resolution, security concerns, and diminishing community participation erode the ideal and reality of courts” justice.”—Martha Minow, Dean and Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Professor, Harvard Law School
“In this visually stunning and provocative book, Judith Resnik and Dennis Curtis lead us to think in new ways about justice as symbol, justice as reality, and the connections as well as the distance between the two.”—Linda Greenhouse, Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law, Yale Law School
“This is a profoundly original and rich book. By looking at the public iconography of justice the book maps the evolution of courts and their relationship with public power and democracy as it has never been done. In this instance, an image is indeed worth a thousand words. Judith Resnik and Dennis Curtis offer us the images and articulate the words.”—Miguel Poiares Maduro, Professor and Director of the Global Governance Programme European, University Institute Villa La Pagliaiuola
“This book is a richly documented study of the iconography of Justice, from Antiquity through its medieval personification as a Cardinal Virtue to the emergence of her figure as an independent icon of a social value. Tracing the continuing resonance of that figure to the modern court room and in the public imagination, Representing Justice demonstrates the power of an image to embody ideals and, when those ideals are ignored, to stand as an indictment of injustice.”—David Rosand, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History Emeritus, Columbia University
“The scope of the book is breathtaking. Through the iconography of justice, Resnik and Curtis chart the history of courts and public justice and compellingly make the case for the central role of adjudication to democracy. The combination of haunting and often visceral imagery with powerful analysis makes the book both a joy to read and an inspiration.” —Dame Hazel Genn, Dean of the Faculty of Laws, University College London (UCL).
“Resnik and Curtis provide a stunning tour of the iconography and architecture of justice. Bristling with insights and steeped in learning, Representing Justice casts the relationship of democracy, justice and law in an entirely new light. Both gripping narrative and deep meditation, there is no other book remotely like it.” —Nancy Fraser, Henry A. & Louise Loeb Professor of Philosophy and Politics, New School for Social Research
“This is an extraordinary book. It combines iconography of justice and claims about judges, courts and democracy. With a deep sense of art and law, the reader is guided through the comparative history of judging, courts and their role in society as manifested through the history of art and architecture. The book is a glorious proof that when judges sit at trial they stand on trial.” —Aharon Barak, Former Chief Justice of Israel