“Drawn Testimony”

by Fran Withrow 12.2024

Jane Rosenberg has always loved art, especially portraiture. Her skill in quickly sketching people eventually led her to a career as a courtroom artist, a job she has held for the last forty years.

“Drawn Testimony” is Rosenberg’s fascinating account of her decades as an artist in the courtroom. She has covered some of the biggest cases in our country; from that of John Lennon’s assassin to Trump’s trial on felony charges. (Her sketch of Trump in 2023 is the only courtroom artist work ever to grace the cover of “The New Yorker.”) 

In the early days when cameras were never allowed inside, fifteen artists might cover a major trial. Now, Rosenberg says, there might be only two or three. Yet their skill is vital in capturing the mood of the court as well as the nuanced emotions of the accused and the victims. While photography can give viewers an idea of what goes on during trial, Rosenberg says artists are able to capture emotions in a way that a photo might not.

Each chapter of her book delves deeply into a high-profile case. Her sketch of Mafia don John Gotti perfectly captures his confident air. The horrendous trial of Susan Smith, who drove her car into a lake with her two small sons in the back seat, leaving them to drown, is heartrending. The intense grief seen between Smith and her husband in Rosenberg’s sketch is palpable. Compare the sketch of Smith with that of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the brothers responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. His portrait reveals an eerie lack of emotion. He almost looks bored.

Other big trials discussed include those of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Steve Bannon. Rosenberg also sketched Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd. The lack of compassion on Rosenberg’s sketch of Chauvin’s face is stark.

Rosenberg’s observations about each trial are engrossing, but also intriguing are her descriptions of sketching in the courtroom. Waiting in line in the wee morning hours to get through security and find a place to set up her art materials. The challenge of sketching fleeting emotions on a person’s face. Worrying about capturing the true essence of someone, and not allowing her personal feelings to affect her work.

The juxtaposition of Rosenberg’s astute and intriguing observations regarding each case with her descriptions of life as a courtroom artist make this book a captivating read. Her sketches (both black and white and color ones are included) invite the reader to pause, and to ponder.

Our justice system affects all of us, and having this insider’s viewpoint is both riveting and revealing. With writing that is both deeply honest and personal, this book is a absorbing peek into big name trials. And for now, Rosenberg says, she will continue her life’s work, “making permanent the expression that crossed a face for only a moment; recording history as it unfolds.”