Design for a Statue of Justice with Sketches at Left and Above. 1775 - 1844

Giuseppe Bernardino Bison rendered this study for a statue of Justice with pen and brown ink, along with washes of the same color. Notice how the figure of Justice, central and commanding, is sketched with a dynamic, almost frenzied line. Her form emerges from the paper through a series of layered washes, creating depth and shadow that model her drapery and give weight to the scales she holds. This drawing exists as part of a larger cultural discourse, referencing classical ideals of justice while engaging with the fluid, expressive style of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Bison's Justice isn't merely an allegorical figure; she is constructed through line and tone, embodying the very act of judgment through the artist’s hand. The sketches around her serve not just as preparatory studies, but also destabilize the singular image of Justice, turning the work into a meditation on the process and multiplicity inherent in the concept of justice itself.