Text File

The Bronze Doors

INFORMATION SHEET

"Out of all of our monumental projects, spread over two lifetimes, the Supreme Court doors are the only work that we ever signed - that's how important they were." - JOHN DONNELLY, JR., Sculptor In designing the Supreme Court building, architect Cass Gilbert (18671934) utilized a classically inspired entrance procession leading to the Courtroom. One of the key elements in this procession is the bronze doors, centered behind the massive columns of the front portico. Signifying the importance of the proceedings that occur within, the oversized doors measure 17 feet high, 9½ feet wide and weigh about 13 tons. The doors were designed by Gilbert and John Donnelly, Sr. (18671947) and sculpted by Donnelly's son, John (19031970). Cast by The General Bronze Corporation of Long Island City, NY, they were shipped to Washington and installed in early 1935.

Each door holds four low-relief panels whose theme illustrates significant events in the evolution of justice in the Western tradition. Arranged chronologically, the thematic se- quence begins on the lower left panel and moves up to the top of that door. It continues with the bottom right panel and concludes with the upper right corner. The events depicted are: The Supreme Court's Main Entrance 1. SHIELD OF ACHILLES Two men debate a point of law, with the winner to receive the two gold coins on the pedestal. This scene is described in the Iliad as part of the decoration on the Shield of Achilles forged by Vulcan. It is recreated here by the Donnellys who described it as "the most famous representation of primitive law."

2. PRAETOR'S EDICT A Roman praetor (magistrate) publishes his edict proclaiming the validity of judge-made, or "common" law. A soldier, perhaps representing the power of government to enforce the common law, stands by.

3. JULIAN AND SCHOLAR Julian, one of the most prominent law teachers in Ancient Rome, instructs a pupil. According to the Donnellys, this represents "the development of law by scholar and advocate."

Office of the Curator Supreme Court of the United States Updated: 8/18/2000

4. JUSTINIAN CODE This panel depicts the publishing of the Corpus Juris by order of the Roman (Byzantine) Emperor Justinian in the sixth century AD. This is considered to be the first codification of Roman law.

5. MAGNA CARTA King John of England is coerced by the Barons to place his seal upon the Magna Carta in 1215.

6. WESTMINSTER STATUTE King Edward I watches as his chancellor (secretary) publishes the Statute of Westminster in 1275. The Donnellys' description states "The greatest single legal reform in our history."

7. COKE AND JAMES I England's Lord Chief Justice Coke bars King James I from the "King's Court," making the court, by law, independent of the executive branch of government.

8. MARSHALL AND STORY The Donnellys describe this event as Chief Justice John Marshall and Associate Justice Joseph Story discussing the 1803 Marbury v. Madison opinion in front of the U.S. Capitol, but it should be noted that Justice Story did not join the Court until 1811, eight years after this historic decision.

To view the doors in unison (below), visitors must arrive during non-business hours because each weekday morning, as the main entrance to the Supreme Court opens, these sculpted doors are rolled into pockets in the wall and recede from view.

4. Justinian 8. Marshall

Code and Story

3. Julian and 7. Coke and

Scholar James I

2. Praetor's 6. Westminster

Edict Statute

1. Shield of 5. Magna

Achilles Carta

Office of the Curator Supreme Court of the United States All photographs by Franz Jantzen unless otherwise noted. Collections of the Supreme Court of the United States.