Art Collection of the US Capitol

Architect of the Capitol ^ | 01/09/2024 | Architect of the Capitol

[Brian Griffin]

A Cascade of Books by Frank Eliscu is a bronze sculptural screen that rises five stories above the main entrance to the James Madison Memorial Building of the Library of Congress. Measuring approximately 50 feet high by 35 feet wide, it consists of 98 open books, with some as large as five feet wide.

Abraham Lincoln's bust was carved directly from the block of marble rather than creating a copy of a plaster cast made from a clay model. Sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, best known for his sculptures at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

The statue of President Abraham Lincoln depicts him with a serious, contemplative expression. Sculpted by the first female artist commissioned to create a work of art for the United States government.

The bronze Amateis Doors are on display in the House Wing of the U.S. Capitol, across from the Bulfinch stairway near the Memorial Door entrance.

[Brian Griffin]

Click on the link to get to the site so you can see the images.

[skr]

Thank you for the link

[Liz]

Ut oh, revisionist enemies of state are gonna see these
American treasures and get into a hate-America snit.

So many Native American “insults”.....so much
Christian religion depicted, even (gulp) crosses....

And dare I ask, were any of those depicted, slaveholders?

[mewzilla]

Meanwhile, on a related note...

The Met Is Selling a George Washington Portrait to Fund Its New Acquisitions The painting is could make $2.5 million when it hits the block at Christie's.

[Liz]

Thx.

FTA-—The Christie’s sale will also include other works that depict America’s other founding fathers, such as Rembrandt Peale’s 1852 Washington portrait (estimate: $300,000–$500,000) and Thomas Sully’s 1813 depiction of treasurer Benjamin Rush (estimate: $100,000–$300,000).

Also featured is painting by the first-known Black American professional portraitist, Joshua Johnson. The work depicts a mother and child named Martha and Mary Ann Dorsey, and has remained in the family’s possession since it was painted around 1804.

[mewzilla]

I hope to God some patriot buys those.

[Dixie Yooper]

One painting I didn’t see listed was The Battle of Lake Erie, which hangs in one of the stairways of the Capital.

[Dan in Wichita]

That's a great painting! One of the things that might go unnoticed is Commodore Perry's 12 year old brother trying to pull him down out of the gunfire.

[j.havenfarm]

My first visit to the Capitol was early in 2001. Before 9/11 there were large areas you could wander through. Magnificent art, particularly the Burundi wall
And ceiling decoration.

[SunkenCiv]

[21twelve]

I’m just glad they had all of that wonderful artwork locked in the underground vaults when the insurrectionists stormed the Capitol or it would have all been destroyed!