Forgotten Legacy: Judicial Portraits by Cornelia Adèle Fassett
While many female artists of the nineteenth century depicted scenes from everyday life, Cornelia Adèle Fassett (1831-1898) gained recognition as a painter of presidents and politicians. During her distinguished career, Fassett also captured the likeness of nine Supreme Court Justices. She sought to depict the Justices as lifelike as possible, and her attention to detail would later assist her in executing one of her most well-known works, The Florida Case before the Electoral Commission. The exhibition features several works from the Supreme Court’s collection, including oil portraiture and a conté crayon drawing.
The Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1876
Conté crayon drawing by Cornelia Adèle Fassett, after photographs by Samuel Montague Fassett, 1876
Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States