Moses, Relief Portrait
Moses (c. 1350-1250 B.C.) Hebrew prophet and lawgiver. Transformed a wandering people into a nation; received the Ten Commandments.
Architect of the Capitol employees are responsible for the care and preservation of more than 300 works of art, architectural elements, landscape features and more.
Browse our pieces below or learn more about the artists, collections and subjects.
Napoleon I, Relief Portrait
Napoleon I (1769-1821) Emperor of France. Appointed a commission to draw up the Code Civil, a combination of tradition and Roman law that influenced the legal systems of European and American states during the 19th century.
Papinian, Relief Portrait
Papinian (c. 146-212) Roman jurist. Author of fifty-six books about legal questions and decisions, extracts from which were influential in the development of the Justinian Code.
Quotations and Inscriptions
A list of some of the quotations and inscriptions found in the buildings on Capitol Hill.
Relief Portrait Plaques of Lawgivers
The Relief Portraits of Lawgivers depict historical figures noted for their work in establishing the principles that underlie American law.
Robert Joseph Pothier, Relief Portrait
Robert Joseph Pothier (1699-1772) French jurist; author of the Digest of Pandects of Justinian, a classic study of Roman law; author of several treatises on French law, which were incorporated in the French Code Civil.
Saint Louis, Relief Portrait
Saint Louis (1214-1270) King Louis IX of France. Author of the Mise of Amiens, a judgment on a dispute between Henry III and rebellious English barons.
Simon de Montfort, Relief Portrait
Simon de Montfort (1200-1265) English statesman. Advocated representative government; established an early form of representative government in England.
Sir William Blackstone, Relief Portrait
Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) English jurist. Professor of common law at Oxford; author of Commentaries on the Laws of England, which had considerable influence on the importation and adaptation of English common law in America.
Solon, Relief Portrait
Solon (c. 638-559 B.C.) Athenian statesman. Author of constitutional and legal reforms.
Suleiman, Relief Portrait
Suleiman (1494-1566) Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Reformed and improved civil and military codes; united a group of unstable territories into an empire.
Thomas Jefferson, Relief Portrait
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Third President of the United States. Wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom.