Kennedy Department of Justice Building: Jennewein Statues - Washington DC

State:: WASHINGTON-DC
Site Type:: Art Works, Sculptures
New Deal Agencies:: Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA), Arts Programs, Federal & Military Operations, Treasury Department
Started:: 1935
Completed:: 1936
Artist:: C. Paul Jennewein
Quality of Information:: Very Good
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

In addition to his overall design work on the sculptural elements of the Department of Justice, C. Paul Jennewein designed six free-standing statues in the interior of the building.

One group of four is called “Water,” “Earth,” “Fire,” and “Air”. The carving of the statues in Alabama Limestone was done by Roger Morigi c. 1934-36, with support from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The Jennewein/Morigi statues stand in the south central elevator lobby on the fifth floor of the Justice Department.

Two others are known as “The Great Hall Statues: The Spirit of Justice and The Majesty of Law”. They are 12.5′ tall, made of cast aluminum, and flank the stage of the Great Hall on the 2d floor. Roman Bronze Works of Long Island City, New York cast the statues. They were completed in September 1936 at a cost of $7,275.85.

Although the Justice building was designed before the New Deal, including Jennewein’s work on the sculptural elements on the exterior, the Jennewein statues inside the building are substantially New Deal in provenance.