Justice Collection

The Contrast, December 1792. December 1792. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
The Contrast, December 1792

Wigs for English lawyers, 1800s
Lawyer selecting the proper wig for appearance in court, London, 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

The Scales of Justice above the Old Bailey Law Courts, Inns of Court, London, England, UK

England. Carta Magna (1212). Manuscript Add. 4838. UNITED KINGDOM. London. The British Museum

The Barrister (oil on canvas)
BAL15031 The Barrister (oil on canvas) by Davidson, Thomas (fl.1863-1908); Roy Miles Fine Paintings; English, out of copyright

Old Bailey / London
The Central Criminal Court, London (The Old Bailey)

A Radical Lawyer, 1902. Artist: Spy
A Radical Lawyer, 1902. John Lawson Walton KC MP, British barrister and politician. Walton served as Attorney General from 1905-1908. Cartoon from Vanity Fair, 6th March 1902

The Court of Chancery, c. 1460 (illumination on vellum)
XCF701481 The Court of Chancery, c.1460 (illumination on vellum) by English School, (15th century); Inner Temple, London, UK; (add.info)

The Old Bailey, London (interior)
BAL33428 The Old Bailey, London (interior) by Shepherd, Thomas Hosmer (1792-1864); Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK; English, out of copyright

Barristers Room at the Royal Courts of Justice, London
Interior of the Barristers Room at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, in 1883

Justice as depicted on a Tarot card
Comtesse de Segur, nee Sophie Rostopchine, French writer, born in Russia, best known for Les Malheurs de Sophie, first published 1859

Court of Exchequer
3086765 Court of Exchequer by English School, (15th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After one of a series of manuscripts showing the four courts at Westminster Hall)

The Lawyers Office, 1545. Artist: Reymerswaele, Marinus Claesz, van (ca. 1490-after 1567)
The Lawyers Office, 1545. Found in the collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art

CLINTON INAUGURATION, 1993. Chief Justice William Rehnquist administering the oath of office to President Bill Clinton on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Photograph, 20 January 1993

Statue of Lady Justice with sword, scales and blindfold, Old Bailey, Central Criminal Court, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Scales of Justice, Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Testimony at the Salem witchcraft trials, 1690s
Trial of a suspected witch at Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1692. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

A Miscarriage of Justice
A rather wicked looking Bonzo sniggers to himself as his brother gets a telling off for some naughty prank of which is entirely innocent

Allegory of Law and Grace, after 1529. Artist: Cranach, Lucas, the Elder (1472-1553)
Allegory of Law and Grace, after 1529. Found in the collection of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg

Court of Common Pleas
3086763 Court of Common Pleas by English School, (15th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: After one of a series of manuscripts showing the four courts at Westminster Hall)

Mr. Justice Field
William Ventris Field(1813-1907), shown here in 1875 when newly appointed as one of the judges of the Court of Queens Bench

Hugo Grotius, Dutch jurist
Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), Dutch jurist and founder of international law. Grotius was born at Delft and at just 11 years of age went to university at Leiden. He became an advocate in 1599

Courts of Justice 1870S
The Royal Courts of Justice, the Strand, London

Supreme Court building, Washington D.C. United States of America (U.S.A.), North America

Cover of La Police Parisienne by G. Mace, former Head of the Paris Surete
CHT237108 Cover of La Police Parisienne by G. Mace, former Head of the Paris Surete (colour litho) by French School, (19th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Allegory of Good Government, 1338-40 (fresco)
BEN58179 Allegory of Good Government, 1338-40 (fresco) by Lorenzetti, Ambrogio (1285-c.1348); Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, Italy; Photo eRaffaello Bencini; Italian, out of copyright

Cartoon, Britannia between Scylla & Charybdis, or, the Vessel of the Constitution steered clear of the Rock of Democracy, and the Whirlpool of Arbitrary Power, by James Gillray

The Beth Din or Court of the Chief Rabbi
The worlds oldest tribunal, dating from the time of Moses. The Beth Din or Court of the Chief Rabbi. It was a form of Jewish tribunal for religious

Allegory of the Good Government, 1338-1340. Artist: Ambrogio Lorenzetti
Allegory of the Good Government, 1338-1340. Ambrogio Lorenzetti frescoed the side walls of the Council Room (Sala dei Nove) of the City Hall (Palazzo Pubblico) of Siena

JOHN JAY (1745-1829). American jurist and statesman. Steel engraving, 19th century

Filming Scott of the Antarctic, with John Mills as Captain Scott RN, James Robertson Justice as Petty Officer Taff Evans, and Kenneth Moore as Lieutenant Evans

Judge and courtroom in the Middle Ages
Plaintiff and defendant take the oath before a judge in the 1400s. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction of a medieval illustration

US Supreme Court courtroom, 1890s
US Supreme Court hearing room, 1890s. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

Sheriff removing criminals boots
Western sheriff arresting law-breakers and making them remove their boots to reduce escapes. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

George Lansbury Pamphlet, Smash Up the Workhouse
The cover of George Lansburys 1909 pamphlet Smash Up the Workhouse. Lansbury (1859-1940) was a socialist politician and campaigner for social justice

HOGARTH / THE BENCH
The difference between character and caricature. The central figure is Sir John Willes, Chief Justice, lecher and scourge of rioters

Tarot Card 8 - La Justice (Justice)

J Accuse... !, Open letter from Emile Zola to the President of the French Republic
LSE4105158 J Accuse...!, Open letter from Emile Zola to the President of the French Republic regarding Alfred Dreyfus printed in " L Aurore" newspaper

The Parable of the Rich Fool, 1627. Creator: Rembrandt van Rhijn (1606-1669)
The Parable of the Rich Fool, 1627. Found in the Collection of Staatliche Museen, Berlin

The Parable of the Talents. Artist: Doetechum, Lucas, van (c. 1530-c. 1584)
The Parable of the Talents. From a private collection

St Teresa of Avila with angel of justice
Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), Carmelite nun and visionary, pleads for mercy with the angel of justice

Integration Protest, Monroe, North Carolina. Photograph by Delcan Haun, August 1961
CIVIL RIGHTS, 1961. Integration Protest, Monroe, North Carolina. Photograph by Delcan Haun, August 1961

Lord Howard de Walden in libel suit
Lord Howard de Walden (Thomas Evelyn Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, 4th Baron Seaford, 1880-1946) in the witness box

Judgment of Solomon (oil on panel)
471523 Judgment of Solomon (oil on panel) by Floris, Frans (1519-70); 123x208 cm; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp

Dreyfus case: Emile Zola (1840-1902) at the seine court for the trial of Alfred Dreyfus, 1898
XEE4143082 Dreyfus case: Emile Zola (1840-1902) at the seine court for the trial of Alfred Dreyfus, 1898. Cover of " The illustrious progress" of February 13, 1898

Emile Zola at the Palais de Justice (colour litho)
2818838 Emile Zola at the Palais de Justice (colour litho) by Meyer, Henri (1841-99) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Emile Zola at the Palais de Justice)

TRIAL OF CHARLES I - King of Great Britain and Ireland, 1625-1649 - The king on trial
XEE4149242 TRIAL OF CHARLES I - King of Great Britain and Ireland, 1625-1649 - The king on trial before a specially constituted high court of justice in Westminster hall

Plausible, 1902. Artist: Spy
Plausible, 1902. Mr Justice Swinfen Eady, British lawyer and judge. Eady (1851-1919) became a QC in 1893 and a High Court Judge in 1901. He served as Master of the Rolls from 1918-1919

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"Unveiling the Tapestry of Justice: From Rowlandson's Contrast to Cranach's Allegory" In December 1792, as Thomas Rowlandson sketched The Contrast, a vivid portrayal of societal disparities, justice stood at a crossroads. High above the Old Bailey Law Courts in London, the Scales swung hesitantly, reflecting the weighty decisions made within its hallowed halls. England's legal foundation lay in Carta Magna (1212), an ancient manuscript that safeguarded principles still upheld today. Within the walls of Old Bailey, where barristers donned wigs and robes reminiscent of bygone eras, justice was dispensed with meticulous care. The Barrister on canvas embodied dedication and eloquence; his words resonated through centuries. In this realm where truth sought refuge from falsehoods and deceitful tongues were silenced, fairness prevailed. At Central Criminal Court - known as Old Bailey - the Scales held sway over countless trials that shaped lives forever. As they balanced evidence against innocence or guilt, they symbolized society's quest for equilibrium amidst chaos. Wandering into history’s corridors revealed glimpses into lawyers' sanctuaries at Royal Courts – bustling chambers where strategies were devised and cases meticulously prepared. Here resided wisdom passed down since 1545 when Reymerswaele captured The Lawyers Office on canvas. Justice transcended physical realms too; it found representation in Tarot cards depicting its essence alongside other universal truths. These cards whispered secrets only those attuned to their mystical language could decipher. Beyond criminal courts lay another domain – Court of Exchequer – where financial disputes met resolution under watchful eyes. Here accountability mingled with equity as wealth flowed through channels governed by law’s guiding hand. Yet justice was not merely cold impartiality; it embraced compassion and mercy too.