Pierrot in Criminal Court
c. 1864–70
Medium
oil on wood panel
Dimensions
unframed: 32.2 × 39.2 cm · framed: 45.8 × 52.1 × 5.2 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Noah L. Butkin
Accession Number
1980.250
Tags
About this artwork
In this painting, Couture used two famous masked characters, Pierrot and Harlequin, to satirize and critique the public and the judicial system of the 19th century. The pathetic Pierrot represents a lower-class fool on trial for stealing food from a restaurant. The stolen items are depicted lying on the courtroom floor as an indictment of his guilt. His accusers sit on the left, while Harlequin, his lawyer, argues theatrically for the defense. The artist's contempt for the legal profession and t...