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The Capitol Building. The Rotunda… A working and living piece of art. The Rotunda. The capitol was burnt by the British in 1814 and the names of many of the British soldiers who led the destruction are inscribed in some of the walls. We can still see their “graffiti” today
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The Capitol Building The Rotunda… A working and living piece of art
The Rotunda • The capitol was burnt by the British in 1814 and the names of many of the British soldiers who led the destruction are inscribed in some of the walls. • We can still see their “graffiti” today • During the Civil War, before the dome was completed, it was used as a Union hospital. • Some have reported seeing Civil War ghosts in the Rotunda! • Today it is 96 feet in diameter • And over 180 feet tall!
Art Work in the Rotunda • A large fresco painting called “The Apotheosis of Washington” was painted by Constantino Brumidi- an artist for the Vatican • In the center is George Washington, surrounded by “Liberty”, “Victory”, and 13 maidens, representing the 13 original colonies. • The groupings around them represent war, science, marine, commerce, mechanics, and agriculture.
War • Armored Freedom, sword raised and cape flying, with a helmet and shield reminiscent of those on the Statue of Freedom, tramples Tyranny and Kingly Power; she is assisted by a fierce eagle carrying arrows and a thunderbolt.
Science • Minerva, goddess of wisdom and the arts of civilization, with helmet and spear, points to an electric generator creating power stored in batteries, next to a printing press, while inventors Benjamin Franklin, Samuel F. B. Morse, and Robert Fulton watch. At the left, a teacher demonstrates the use of dividers.
Marine • Neptune, god of the sea, holding his trident and crowned with seaweed, rides in a shell chariot drawn by sea horses. Venus, goddess of love born from the sea, helps lay the transatlantic cable. In the background is a form of iron-clad ship with smokestacks.
Commerce • Mercury, god of commerce, with his winged cap and sandals and caduceus, hands a bag of gold to Robert Morris, financier of the Revolutionary War. On the left, men move a box on a dolly; on the right, the anchor and sailors lead into the next scene, "Marine."
Mechanics • Vulcan, god of the forge, stands at his anvil with his foot on a cannon, near a pile of cannon balls and with a steam engine in the background. The man at the forge is thought to represent Charles Thomas, who was in charge of the ironwork of the Capitol dome.
Agriculture • Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, is shown with a wreath of wheat and a cornucopia, seated on a McCormick reaper. Young America in a liberty cap holds the reins of the horses, while Flora gathers flowers in the foreground.
There is also the Frieze of American History • Started by Brumidi. • However, as he was working on the William Penn and the Indians, Brumidi fell off the scaffolding and held onto a rail for 15 minutes until being rescued. However, due to his injuries, he died a few months later. • When the remaining 8 ½ scenes were finished by another artist, there was a 31 foot gap. • In 1951 that gap was completed. • Made up of 19 scenes:
-American and History An allegorical panel portraying America wearing a liberty cap and holding a spear and shield. History is a female holding a stone tablet. An eagle represents authority, an olive branch represents peace. If you look at the men in the background to the right, they are in the same pose as the prospector at the end of “Discovery of Gold in California” because Brumidi planned for this first scene to connect to the “Gold Scene”.
-Landing of Columbus This is the first of four scenes depicting the Spanish conquest. Columbus disembarks from the Santa Maria.
-Cortez and Montezuma at the Mexican Temple The Aztecs honored conquistador Hernan Cortes as a god, believing he was Quetzalcoatl. Here, Montezuma welcomes Cortes into an Aztec temple.
-Pizarro going to Peru This panel depicts Francisco Pizarro going through the jungle in search for El Dorado as the Spanish sets sights on the Inca Empire in Peru.
-Burial of de Soto Hernando de Soto’s body travels up the Mississippi after he died of a fever. His expeditions searched for gold, silver, and other valuables in the New World.
-Captain Smith and Pocahontas Although now believed to be fabricated by John Smith, this scene shows Pocahontas saving Captain John Smith.
-Landing of the Pilgrims William Brewster and Pilgrims give thanks as they land at Provincetown, Cape Cod.
-Wm. Penn and the Indians This is the panel Brumidi was working on when he fell. This panel shows Penn and the Delaware Native Americans signing a treaty under the elm at Shackamaxon.
-Colonization of New England The panel depicts life in New England.
-Oglethorpe and the Indians The founder of Georgia, James Oglethorpe, is presented gifts from the Muskogee leaders.
-Battle of Lexington The “shot heard ‘round the world” is shown with English Major Pitcairn leading the King’s army to the Minute Men.
-Declaration of Independence This panel depicts John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin reading the Declaration. (Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman not included)
-Surrender of Cornwallis George Washington accepts Cornwallis’ aide’s ceremonial sword of surrender. This is not true to history, though, as Major General Benjamin Lincoln, of similar rank, accepted the sword.
-Death of Tecumseh Shawnee’s chief and Indian Confederation leader Tecumseh is killed at the Battle of Thames during the War of 1812
-American Army Entering Mexico This depicts the end of the Mexican-American War in which Mexico ceded lands now part of the southwestern United States.
-Discovery of gold in California This would have been the connecting piece to the beginning, had a 30 foot error not occurred!
-Peace at the end of Civil War The first of Allyn Cox’s three panels shows a Confederate and Union Soldier shaking hands at the end of the war.
-Spanish American War This naval scene depicts a battle in the Spanish-American War of 1898 when Cuba won independence from Spain and US acquired Puerto Rico and Guam.
-The Birth of Aviation The Wright brothers had their first successful flight at Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903. Leonardo de Vinci, Samuel Pierpont Langley, and Octave Chanute hold models of their earlier flight machine designs.
There are 8 12 ft x 18 ft oil on canvas historical pictures on the wall of the Rotunda • These pieces of art are literally priceless.
Declaration of Independence • John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and, of course, Thomas Jefferson present the draft of the Declaration to the Second Continental Congress. Artist: John Trumbull
Surrender of General Burgoyne • Depicts after the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga, when General Horatio Gates treated the surrendering British General Burgoyne as a gentleman. Artist: John Trumbull
Surrender of Cornwallis • Unlike the fresco, this is accurately depicted where General Benjamin Lincoln sits a top a white horse to take the ceremonial sword of surrender from British aide Charles O’Hara. George Washington is seen in the back with the brown horse. Trumbull included a small self-portrait of himself under the American flag on the right side of the painting.
Washington Resigning his Commission • Although not truly present at his resignation, Trumbull depicted Martha Washington and her grandchildren watching from the gallery section. One of the grandchildren shown is George Washington Parke Custis, Robert E. Lee’s future father-in-law and owner of Arlington House.
Landing of Columbus • Depicts Christopher Columbus landing on San Salvador Island. Artist: John Vanderlyn
Discovery of the Mississippi • In what was supposed to be the last painting for the rotunda, William H. Powell created Hernando de Soto, riding a white horse.
Baptism of Pocahontas • Painted by John Gadsby Chapman. Pocahontas is surrounded by family members, including her father Chief Powhatan. However, her brother, Nantequaus, turns away from the ceremony in protest of her accepting Christianity and other white-man customs.
Embarkation of the Pilgrims • Painted by Robert W. Weir, this depicts the Pilgrims on Speedwell as they leave for Massachusetts. William Brewster holds the Bible and William Bradford and Miles Standish are shown.
