François Pascal Simon GÉRARD, called BARON GÉRARD (Rome, 1770 - Paris, 1837) Justice Pair of oils on canvas and oil paper mounted on canvas Sketches for the pendant of the Pantheon (Paris, 1832-1836). An old label at the bottom left, bearing the number: "9"; an old label at the bottom left, bearing the number: "8". According to family tradition, these labels were probably applied during the division of the estate of Count Foy. 46 x 55 cm (Framed but original frame) Provenance: - Baron Henri Gérard (1818-1903), nephew and heir of Baron François Gérard. - Countess Marie Foy (1849-1915), daughter of the former; remained in her descendants. In 1821, Gérard was commissioned to decorate the four pendentives of the Pantheon dome. He chose to depict Death, Homeland, Glory and Justice. Although the four compositions were probably largely defined in the years that followed, the execution of the pendentives was constantly postponed. In 1830, the minister Guizot asked the artist to resume his studies to adapt them to the "purely patriotic and national character" of the building. It is from this period that our two sketches date. In the first of the two compositions, Justice, with scales under her arm and armed with her sword, comes to the aid of Virtue, lying in the foreground, oppressed by Envy, Slander, Violence, Lies and Vanity. Very close to the final version, one of our sketches presents some variations such as the Pegasus in the upper left which is replaced by a storm. The second sketch differs much more from the final execution. Gérard proposes several different compositions for the same subject. Thus, Justice no longer comes to the aid of Virtue but brings down its avenging arm on the vices that surround it and that flee. This composition stands out from all the others, as Justice is seen from behind, whereas Glory, Death and the Fatherland are all treated in a very frontal, almost hieratic manner. There are also two drawings related to a third, equally different proposal (Paris, Musée du Louvre). Justice seems to be the pendant for which the most documents are preserved. Four large and very accomplished modelli, of the same provenance as our sketches, reappeared in 1999 at the Michel Roche gallery (private collection). This was the last major project of the painter.