Palacio Judicial Figures - Faro, Portugal
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 37° 01.025 W 007° 55.742
29S E 595270 N 4097303
A number of large figures adorn the side of the Judicial Palace building.
Waymark Code: WMPY0P
Location: Faro, Portugal
Date Posted: 11/08/2015
Views: 7
PT
"
PALACIO JUDICIALLocaliza-se na Avenida 5 de Outubro.
Edificado entre 1960 e 1964. O projeto foi da responsabilidade do arquiteto Raul Rodrigues Lima (1909-1979) e os relevos da fachada lateral foram produzidos pelo escultor António Duarte (1912-1998)."
EN
"
JUDICIAL PALACELocated at Avenida 5 October.
Built between 1960 and 1964. The project was the responsibility of the architect Raul Rodrigues Lima (1909-1979) and the reliefs of the side facade were produced by sculptor Antonio Duarte (1912-1998)."
link
The sculpture has a total of 10 figures in three groups covering the full height of the side of the court building.
The figure done in grey stone seem to have a judicial theme but have a strange mixture of styles.
There are three figure at the top done in a mythological style, the top one appears to be carrying a lightning bolt and may be a reference to Zeus, God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order and justice and normally depicted as carrying a lightning bolt. However in this sculpture the figure has wings, not normally associated with Zeus.
The middle group of 4 figures shows a bare chested, severe looking, seated man with three figures deferring to him including one kneeling with a bowed head.
The last group of three shows two men in modern clothes with a seated bare chested female figure in the middle. She is holding a set of scales and so may represent Justitia, the Roman Godess of Justice.
Although there is no explanation of the meaning of the figures on the building, the overall effect is a severe austere one, appropriate to a court building.