Alfred Pierre Agache (1843 - 1915) At the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada, a striking portrait has attracted art observers since 1965. The large 6 feet by 3½ feet oil painting is a courageous woman in a black robe. She is sitting down with her fist on her waist and a long, sharp sword on her right hand. The woman in the portrait has a piercing and intimidating expression on her face. There are words displayed on the top portion of the portrait, “Pro Iustitia Tantum.” The term is Latin for “on behalf of justice only.” The painting was a gift from the Canadian National Exhibition Association and it has been one of the most popular artworks at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Alfred Pierre Agache was the artist known for this famous …show more content…
Agache ‘s specialty was in figure and portrait painting. However, Agache used the technique of allegory or symbolism in his artwork. For example, several of his paintings include mysterious women in dark and rich colors. Agache also incorporated allegorical symbols into his paintings. “The Sword” denotes the idea of defending justice. The sword represents violence or struggle, yet it relates to fighting for justice. Art and literary experts connect the Latin translation, “on behalf of justice only” to the quote “I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to death your right to say it.” It was thought that those were the exact words of Voltaire. Although the quote reflects Voltaire’s beliefs, the quote was actually from a female writer named Evelyn Patrice Hall. She used the pseudonym, Stephen Tallentyre because women were not taken serious as writers during the late nineteenth century. Some art and literary critics thought that the woman in the portrait represent the role of women and their struggle for equality. This sort of allegorical painting can evoke different perspectives and ideas, which made Agache ahead of his