Courtroom witness? 


This picture by Bacon evokes a testifying witness. So it will serve as a backdrop to news about an exhibition of work by courtroom artists, those quick-scribbling illustrators who capture the drama of justice in action. 

A new book, The Illustrated Courtroom: 50 Years Of Court Art, by courtroom illustrator Elizabeth Williams pulls back the curtain on the proceedings. Courtroom artists are hired by media organizations to act as a lens for courts without cameras. As such, they’re journalists, too, waiting to capture the moment when a defendant lunges in rage, a judge scowls, or a plaintiff faints.     —Diane Richard, writer, July 1

Image: Elizabeth Williams. © 2014 NPR 

Source: Rachel Martin, “’The Illustrated Courtroom’ Finds Art In Real-Life Legal Drama,” National Public Radio,June 22