Justice

JUSTICE, copyright ã 1976, Hermann Gurfinkel
All rights reserved.

Hermann and Erwin Gruen became close friends during Hermann's Chicago years. Their businesses did not conflict and, more often, complemented each other as the two craftsmen would recommend customers looking for the other's style. Erwin came to Hermann one day and asked his friend to create a piece for a female friend, a graduate from Northwestern law school. Such an elegant piece fitting a new lawyer. Hermann sketched Justice and presented the drawings to the new attorney and she was delighted. But when JUSTICE was finally cast and ready, the young lawyer couldn't pay, her fledgeling practice was going through some tough times.

Hermann understood and took the solid bronze statue to lawyers around the area, asking them for their opinion at first. Once in the door, he would offer to sell the work. He met one rather large man, a former Marine, who said with a laugh, "She is way too thin." Hermann looked at her and shrugged, "Justice often goes undernourished." The lawyer loved Hermann's witty comeback and bought a copy on the spot, just so he could say that line.

Hermann sold seventeen copies of this 23" solid bronze piece in that manner.
There are 500 copies in this edition.

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