The United States Capitol displays public artworks by a variety of artists, including the National Statuary Hall Collection and United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection.
The United States Capitol displays public artworks by a variety of artists, including the National Statuary Hall Collection and United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection.
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Sculptures include those within the National Statuary Hall Collection and United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection. Other sculptures include a bust of Martin Luther King Jr., the Columbus Doors, and the Revolutionary War Door.
The National Statuary Hall Collection is composed of statues donated by individual U.S. states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old Hall of the House of Representatives, which was then renamed National Statuary Hall. The expanding collection has since been spread throughout the Capitol and its Visitor Center.
Other sculptures under the control of the Architect of the Capitol include the following: [1]
| Honoree | Medium | Sculptor | Date placed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln Bust | Marble | Vinnie Ream | 1871 | Rotunda |
| Alexander Hamilton | Marble | Horatio Stone | 1868 | Rotunda |
| Martin Luther King Jr. | Bronze | John Woodrow Wilson | 1986 | Rotunda |
| Edward Dickinson Baker | Marble | Horatio Stone | 1876 | Hall of Columns |
| Sojourner Truth | Bronze | Artis Lane | 2009 | Capitol Visitor Center |
| James Madison | Marble | Walker Hancock | 1976 | James Madison Memorial Building |
| Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony | Marble | Adelaide Johnson | 1920 | Rotunda |
| Thomas Jefferson | Bronze | Pierre-Jean David d’Angers | 1834 | Rotunda |
| Ulysses S. Grant | Marble | Franklin Simmons | 1899 | Rotunda |
| Rosa Parks | Bronze | Eugene Daub | 2013 | National Statuary Hall |
| Frederick Douglass | Bronze | Steven Weitzman | 2013 | Capitol Visitor Center [2] |
| John Marshall | Bronze | William Wetmore Story | 1884 | Capitol Grounds, West Front |
| Robert A. Taft | Bronze | Wheeler Williams | 1959 | Square 633, Capitol Grounds |
Abraham Lincoln Bust
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 [3] .
| Title | Medium | Sculptor | Date placed | Location | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car of History | Marble | Carlo Franzoni | 1819 | National Statuary Hall | represents Clio, the muse of history |
| Liberty and the Eagle | Plaster | Enrico Causici | 1817–1819 | National Statuary Hall | |
| Statue of Freedom | Bronze | Thomas Crawford | 1863 | top of dome | |
| The Progress of Civilization [4] | Marble | Thomas Crawford | 1863 | Pediment over Senate Portico, East Front | |
| Apotheosis of Democracy [5] | Marble | Paul Wayland Bartlett | 1916 | Pediment, East Front | Figures of Peace protecting Genius surrounded by scenes representing Industry and Agriculture |
| Genius of America (1) | Sandstone | Luigi Persico | 1825–1828 | Pediment, East Central Entrance | America with Justice and Hope, duplicated and replaced by Genius of America (2) |
| Genius of America (2) | Marble | Bruno Mankowski | 1959–1960 | Pediment, East Central Entrance | duplicate in marble of Genius of America (1) |
| Fame and Peace Crowning George Washington (1) | Sandstone | Antonio Capellano | 1827 | East central portico, above the Rotunda doors | duplicated and replaced by Fame and Peace ... (2) |
| Fame and Peace Crowning George Washington (2) | Marble | G. Gianetti | 1959–1960 | East central portico, above the Rotunda doors | duplicate in marble of Fame and Peace ... (1) |
| Justice and History [6] | Marble | Thomas Crawford | 1863 | East Front | |
Jo Davidson was an American sculptor. Although he specialized in realistic, intense portrait busts, Davidson did not require his subjects to formally pose for him; rather, he observed and spoke with them. He worked primarily with clay, while the final products were typically cast in terra-cotta or bronze, or carved from marble.
Larkin Goldsmith Mead, Jr. was an American sculptor who worked in a neoclassical style.
Charles Henry Niehaus, was an American sculptor.
Lavinia Ellen "Vinnie" Ream Hoxie was an American sculptor. Her most famous work is the statue of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in the United States Capitol rotunda. Ream's Statue of Sequoyah and Statue of Samuel J. Kirkwood, both part of the National Statuary Hall collection. Other notable works by Ream include the Statue of David Farragut and the Bust of Edwin B. Hay, which are also both located in Washington, D.C.. Additionally, Ream created works which were displayed at the The Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
The United States Capitol rotunda is the tall central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It has been described as the Capitol's "symbolic and physical heart". Built between 1818 and 1824, the rotunda is located below the Capitol dome, which was built between 1857 and 1866.
Franklin Bachelder Simmons was a prominent American sculptor of the nineteenth century. Three of his statues are in the National Statuary Hall Collection, three of his busts are in the United States Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection, and his statue of Ulysses S. Grant is in the United States Capitol Rotunda.
Anne Whitney created two public statues of Samuel Adams. One, made in 1876, resides in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the US Capitol, Washington, D.C. The other, made in 1880, is located in front of Faneuil Hall Plaza in Boston.
Will Rogers is a statue created by Jo Davidson, two versions of which were unveiled in 1938.
Henry Clay is a 1929 bronze sculpture by Charles Henry Niehaus depicting the lawyer and politician Henry Clay, installed in the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Kentucky. The statue was accepted into the collection by Virgil Chapman on March 3, 1929.
John M. Clayton is a 1934 marble sculpture depicting the American lawyer and politician of the same name by Bryant Baker, installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Delaware The statue was accepted in the collection by Robert G. Houston on June 6, 1934.
Philip Kearny is an 1888 bronze sculpture of Philip Kearny by Henry Kirke Brown, installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of New Jersey.
Robert M. La Follette Sr. is a 1929 marble sculpture of Robert M. La Follette by Jo Davidson, installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Wisconsin. The statue was accepted in the collection by Senator John J. Blaine on April 25, 1929.
Julius Sterling Morton, also known as J. Sterling Morton, is a 1937 bronze sculpture of Julius Sterling Morton by Rudulph Evans, installed in the United States Capitol Visitor Center, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Nebraska. The sculpture was accepted into the collection by Congressman Karl Stefan of Nebraska on April 27, 1937.
Francis Harrison Pierpont is a 1910 marble sculpture of Francis Harrison Pierpont by Franklin Simmons installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of West Virginia. The sculpture was unveiled by the Hon. Thomas Condit Miller, on April 27, 1937.
Roger Williams is an 1872 marble sculpture of Roger Williams by Franklin Simmons, installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Rhode Island. The sculpture was unveiled by Senator William Sprague of Rhode Island on January 9, 1872.
Roger Sherman is an 1872 marble sculpture of Roger Sherman by Chauncey Ives, installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Connecticut. The sculpture was unveiled by Senator Orris Sanford Ferry of Connecticut on March 8, 1872.
Jonathan Trumbull is an 1872 marble sculpture of Jonathan Trumbull by Chauncey Ives, installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Connecticut. The sculpture was unveiled by Senator William Alfred Buckingham of Connecticut on March 8, 1872.
James Shields is an 1893 bronze sculpture of James Shields by Leonard Volk, installed in the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. It is one of two statues donated by the state of Illinois. The sculpture was unveiled by Senator Shelby Moore Cullom of Illinois on December 6, 1893.
A colossal bust of Abraham Lincoln was made by Gutzon Borglum and completed in 1908. The original marble sculpture is installed in the United States Capitol crypt, in Washington, D.C. Copies cast in bronze are installed in several other locations, including the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois.
