About the work

William Kunstler was one of the most beloved, and the most hated, lawyers in America. He was a legendary criminal defense attorney, fierce in his defense of his clients. Throughout the 1960s, Kunstler assisted Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in some of the most important legal battles in the fight for civil rights. By 1966, when Golden made this picture, Kunstler was deep in the thick of his work. It was at that time that he was representing Jack Ruby, who killed Lee Harvey Oswald two days after Oswald had killed John F. Kennedy. Perhaps this picture is commentary on that representation. It might also have been a symbol of the Jewish community’s sharp disapproval of his defense of an arsonist who burned down a Jewish Community Center, killing twelve. Or it might relate to Kunstler’s early 1960s representation of the Freedom Riders and Judge Leon Hendrick’s rejection of Kunstler’s motion to cancel the mass appearance of all 187 convicted riders. Whatever the inspiration, this is a highly engaging work, political and fun at the same time, and technically strong in execution. A fine work by an important Washingtonian artist.

Custom framed using strictly conservation-grade materials and glazed with 99% UV-blocking Plexiglas.