Lady Liberty and Public Art
at Baltimore’s Mitchell Courthouse
The Secret Life of Lady Liberty came to one of the most beautiful historic libraries in Baltimore on December 1, 2016. Co-authors Robert R. Hieronimus, Ph.D., and Laura E. Cortner presented a visual tour of their new book exploring the symbolism of the Goddess Lady Liberty, revealing why everyone claims the Statue of Liberty as one of “us,” but most forget that she is GOD in female form.
Nearly 40 years ago today, Dr. Hieronimus was the commissioned artist hired to restore the American history murals inside the Mitchell Courthouse, like “The Surrender at Yorktown,” above.
As the female half of our national conscience, the Statue of Liberty is all about finding balance. Her history as a goddess can inspire us to find our mission in life and activate it.
The talk went over what the authors discovered while researching the history of the Statue of Liberty, and why she is an energizing symbol for activism. The Statue of Liberty is a unifying Symbol — just look at the current crop of political cartoons showing her at odds with, or violated by, president-elect Trump. Hollywood has discovered the emotional impact on viewers when they show her being destroyed in the multiple disaster films of the last decade. Most people on the planet associate the Statue of Liberty with the self-identity of Americans. We identify with her as both our “Mom” and “one of Us.” The Secret Life of Lady Liberty argues that learning to see the Statue of Liberty as a powerful depiction of divinity in female form can energize America toward a more compassionate future.
In the 1970s, Dr. Bob was appointed by then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer restore the beautiful murals at the Mitchell Courthouse. Leading a crew of assistants, and then working solo for several more months after the budget ran out, he restored them to their original splendor. They cleaned every square centimeter of every mural, dealing with delays, bureaucracy, and damage to the artwork until completion.
Click to enlarge:
Several legal luminaries attended the presentation. Above, from left to right: Chief Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City Alfred Nance; Judge Wanda Keyes Heard; and George W. Liebmann, president of Liebmann and Shively, P.A.
For more information about the book and future public appearances, visit SecretLifeOfLadyLiberty.com or click here to buy it on Amazon and here to buy from Barnes and Noble.
