In 1940 Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco painted four panels around the 2nd level of the Supreme Court's central stairway, two dealing with the theme of justice. A more contemporary take on the same subject, La historia de la justicia en México (The History of Justice in Mexico), by Mexico City–born Rafael Cauduro, unfolds over three levels of the building’s southwest stairwell. Free audioguides available to 4pm. Photo ID required for admission.
Executed in his hyper-realist style, Cauduro's series (aka The Seven Worst Crimes) catalogs the horrors of state-sponsored crimes against the populace, including the ever-relevant torture-induced confession. On the southeast corner of the building’s interior, Ismael Ramos Huitrón’s La busqueda de la justicia (The Search for Justice) reflects on the Mexican people’s constant struggle to obtain justice, as does the social realism work La justicia (Justice), by Japanese-Mexican artist Luis Nishizawa, on the northwest stairwell. On the 1st level of the main stairway, American artist George Biddle painted La guerra y la paz (War and Peace) shortly after WWII ended.
