The Women Of The Supreme Court Now Have The Badass Portrait They Deserve

[Tx4obama]

The Women Of The Supreme Court Now Have The Badass Portrait They Deserve

The women of the Supreme Court are the subjects of a new painting unveiled at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

The portrait features the high court's current female justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan, as well as Sandra Day O'Connor, who retired from the bench in 2005. O'Connor made history in 1981 when she became the first woman ever named to the Supreme Court.

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Full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/28/supreme-court-women-portrait_n_4171983.html

Four Supreme Court Justices Featured in Grand-Scale Painting at the National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will display a loaned portrait of the first female Supreme Court Justices, Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, beginning Oct. 28. The 9-foot-6-inch by 7-foot-9-inch oil painting by the artist Nelson Shanks features the four women in an interior based on the Supreme Court Building; it will be displayed in the museum for three years.

This portrait recognizes the achievements of these four women—the first to serve on the nation’s highest court.

“The scale of this painting speaks to the grand accomplishments made by these four women and the example they set for future generations,” said Kim Sajet, director of the museum. “I imagine this portrait will spark a conversation among young people, particularly young women, about breaking barriers.”

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http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/four-supreme-court-justices-featured-grand-scale-painting-national-portrait-gallery

p.s. I'm hoping ya'll will rec and kick this so that tons of folks get to see it

[sheshe2]

1. Kicking for the Women of SCOTUS!

Now we need more of them, Tx.

[Tx4obama]

6. Ya know...

Last edited Tue Oct 29, 2013, 12:42 AM - Edit history (1)

When I was a kid (quite a long time ago) it never really dawned on me that it was wrong that there were no women on the Supreme Court - since we never had seen one before...

... but nowadays of course it's strange when I see films regarding cases from the past that were brought in front of the Court and all you see is 9 male justices - THAT just looks so very wrong.


A few films with Supreme Court Justices/cases that I can think of off the top of my head that all nine justices were male

Separate But Equal http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102879/

The Loving Story http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1759682/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2061756/


The film below 'might' have had a female actress portraying Sandra Day O'Connor, I don't remember
The case was argued December 2, 1987 and decided decided February 24, 1988
The People vs. Larry Flynt http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117318/


Edited to add...

And here's a COMEDY/drama film 'about' the Supreme Court. I haven't seen this one but found/watched a few clips on YouTube
First Monday in October
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082382/

[sheshe2]

7. I am bookmarking so I can make note of these, it's getting late here now.

Thanks for the links, looks like something I would love to watch.

We need more women in government, Tx. Need them badly. There seems to be some good ones announcing their run right now. I plan to support everyone of them.

Excellent thread Tx, thanks.

[NBachers]

19. Allow me to tag-team with you again with a plug for Amanda Renteria

who is running for Congress in California's 21st District, in the Central Valley's Fresno and Tulare Counties. We need Amanda in the House; we need to dump her teabag opponent.

Amanda is an impressive, eminently qualified and experienced candidate. Here's what Emily's List has to say about her opponent:

"Freshman Tea Party Rep. David Valadao is not only a typical Republican obstructionist, he seems dangerously clueless about what the 21st needs – the district’s unemployment rate is above California’s average, and more than a quarter of its families live below the poverty line. Valadao vocally criticized the federal stimulus package, which funded more than $15 million in water projects in the district, and voted against the California DREAM Act. He supported a restrictive 2011 Voter ID bill and voted twice against requiring insurance companies to provide maternity coverage. In Congress he’s backed multiple radical, anti-choice bills while coming under fire for failing to divulge his personal, financial interest in a high-speed rail project."

More Emily's List information here: http://emilyslist.org/what/candidates/amanda-renteria

Amanda Renteria here: http://amandarenteria.com/

[starroute]

8. The IMDB doesn't show O'Connor as a character in the film

The full cast listing includes Rehnquist, Marshall, Scalia, and Stevens. Just those four.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117318/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

[Tx4obama]

13. Yeah, but when the attorneys are arguing the case in front of the bench - all the justices are there

... maybe they just didn't name her because she was sitting at the end of the bench and didn't have any speaking parts, kind like an extra?

[mountain grammy]

16. When I was a kid a long time ago, it sure dawned on me. I couldn't even have a paper route.

This portrait is awesome.

[silverweb]

2. K&R

[northoftheborder]

3. K&R

I think the portraits capture their strength and character very well. Don't take those gals lightly!

[DebJ]

4. Awesome. Now, maybe portraits of women Presidents up next?

[Whisp]

5. The likenesses are great as the idea is but

the composition could have been much better.

[MADem]

15. I like the composition. A LOT. It pulls my eyes to it! It's memorable!

The whippersnappers are standing tall.

The third person settin' on the couch, with the "seniors," is The Law.

[Firebrand Gary]

9. I can't wait for the replica's, I swear I will hang one on the wall inside my house.

It's the ultimate image of what we are fighting for...

[2banon]

10. OConnor Selected Bush

As a women, I feel deeply betrayed by her, I will never respect her for that decision, not ever.

[No Vested Interest]

14. Isn't that the truth?!

O'Connor and Colin Powell - so often lionized as though they were perfectly respectful people.

[2banon]

17. There would be no Roberts or Alito if it wasn't for Oconnor.

O'Connor would have been replaced on retirement with another woman, and other women would have been selected for SCOTUS... if my math is correct, that portrait would have had 6 women (who would have been a majority btw) if it wasn't for O'Connor selecting Bush in 2000.

No, I won't praise any portrait she's represented in.

[marshall]

33. Didn't Bush try to nominate a woman?

I seem to remember a woman who was sort of halfway nominated and then she had to drop out for some reason.

[2banon]

34. Yes, he did. his second atty general

can't remember her name right now.. she replaced Gonzalez after the atty general post. There was a lot of push back from the Repubs as well as Dems if memory serves. so she withdrew her nomination.

[Tx4obama]

36. See Comment #35 n/t

[Tx4obama]

35. Harriet Miers nominated by Pres George W. Bush on Oct. 4, 2005; withdrew nomination Oct. 27

Harriet Miers, BIO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Miers

[2banon]

40. thanks for memory refresher, tx4..

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. KICKED, RECOMMENDED AND BOOKMARKED!!!

[Chan790]

12. Gotta be honest, I don't like the painting very much.

I think the artist captured Sonia Sotomayor and Sandra Day-O'Connor well. Ginsburg looks pissed off and Kagan has been prematurely aged about 20 years. She looks like she's 70. In addition, as someone else pointed out, the composition is strange. I'm also not a fan of the artist's technique...it's soft-focus like when you smear Vaseline on a camera lens and it has an awful Kinkaidesque quality where there is light seemingly from nowhere and the colors are exaggerated.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

32. I'm with you...

Ginsberg looks like she just bit the head off a live chicken.

[freshwest]

18. My dream justice: Michelle Obama! She'd take down Scalia, et all with a look!

[Control-Z]

20. Damn! I got chills when I saw the portrait on TV earlier today.

I have chills again. Outstanding!!

[Tx4obama]

21. I missed seeing it on TV. What network was it on?

TIA.

[Control-Z]

22. MSNBC

I think it was Chris Hayes' show - or maybe it was on Rachel's.

[ourfuneral]

23. "We came without phallic-shaped weapons.....

...THIS TIME!"

[MsLeopard]

24. Kick for the morning crowd

You ladies rock!!

[lillypaddle]

25. Love it

Except it's hard to get past Sandra Day O'Conner getting Dumbya shit into office. Kick.

[gopiscrap]

26. I like it

[CherokeeDem]

27. Thanks for posting this....

Exceptional women all... even O'Connor. though I will never forgive her for Gore v Bush.

As much as I like Ginsberg, the more I learn about Sonja Sotomayor, the more she becomes my favorite.

Lovely painting.

Thanks again....

[Laelth]

28. k&r for their service to American jurisprudence. n/t

-Laelth

[Scurrilous]

29. K & R

[juajen]

30. Oh my goodness. This is beautiful!

[Rhiannon12866]

31. K&R! Wow! This is wonderful!

Here's to many, many more!

[csziggy]

37. Beautiful!

I hope I live long enough that the women who have served on the Supreme Court are too numerous to fit in one painting.

[gopiscrap]

39. welcome to DU

[bigdarryl]

41. DAMN!!!! that is badass

That picture will be worth MILLIONS in about a hundred years from now