Dramatic Scene in a Court 

Frederic Leighton painted this scene of presumed Roman justice using oil on canvas. Paintings like this reflected Britain’s fascination with ancient civilizations in the 19th century. Leighton, as president of the Royal Academy, was a leading figure in the British art establishment, shaping tastes and upholding traditional academic values. This painting visualizes the social structures of ancient Rome, emphasizing the formality of law and justice. The scene is set in a Roman courtyard and this setting would have evoked a sense of classical grandeur and order for British viewers. The artist uses the architectural backdrop to reinforce ideas about the power of institutions. By staging his drama in the setting of a court, Leighton comments on the social structures of his own time. To fully understand this artwork, we might explore Victorian-era sources on classical history and legal theory. Art is always contingent on social and institutional contexts.