Freda Reiter – John Dean Goes to Testify – Pastel Drawing

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As White House Counsel, John Dean often met with President Nixon and his top staff, and played a central part in the Watergate cover-up. His decision to testify against his White House colleagues was a key turning point in the Watergate scandal. In summer 1973, Dean appeared in front of the Senate Watergate committee. He later met with prosecutors and testified in grand jury hearings (likely the scene here).

Pastel drawing, 17″ x 14″

Signature (detail)

Watergate exhibition page

Freda L. Reiter

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Since cameras were banned from courtrooms, news outlets depended on professional sketch artists like Freda Reiter for visuals. When Reiter was assigned the Watergate burglary trial, in 1973, she had no idea that she would be spending the better part of two years in Washington.

Watergate Courtroom Sketches by Freda L. Reiter, 1973–75

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To provide sufficient visuals for the substantial airtime allotted to the story each night, Reiter made multiple sketches a day: close-up portraits, as well as wide-angle views of the courtroom incorporating as many as 28 figures.