''The Apotheosis of Washington'' is the

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

painted by Greek- Italian artist Constantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through the

oculus Oculus (a term from Latin ''oculus'', meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following Architecture * Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Oculus'' (film), a 2013 American ...

of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building. The fresco is suspended above the rotunda floor and covers an area of . The figures painted are up to tall and are visible from the floor below. The dome was completed in 1863, and Brumidi painted it over the course of 11 months at the end of the Civil War. He was paid $40,000 ($ in today's funds) for the fresco. Brumidi had worked for three years in the Vatican under Pope Gregory XVI, and served several aristocrats as an artist for

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

s and villas, including the prince Torlonia. He immigrated to the United States in 1852, and spent much of the last 25 years of his life working in the Capitol. In addition to ''The Apotheosis of Washington'' he designed the

Brumidi Corridors The Brumidi Corridors are the vaulted, ornately decorated corridors on the first floor of the Senate wing in the United States Capitol. Background and artist They are named for Constantino Brumidi, who designed the murals, although assistants a ...

Symbolism

Brumidi,_Constantino_-_Apotheosis_of_Washington,_detail_E_Pluribus_Unum_-_1865

''The Apotheosis of Washington'' depicts

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

sitting amongst the heavens in an exalted manner, or in literary terms, ascending and becoming a god (

apotheosis Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...

). Washington, the first

U.S. president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

and commander-in-chief of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

during the American Revolutionary War, is allegorically represented, surrounded by figures from classical mythology. Washington is draped in purple, worn by generals of the ancient Roman Republic during their

triumphs ''Triumphs'' (Italian language, Italian: ''I Trionfi'') is a 14th-century Italian series of poems, written by Petrarch in the Tuscan language. The poem evokes the Roman triumph, Roman ceremony of triumph, where victorious generals and their armies ...

, with a rainbow arch at his feet, flanked by the goddess Victoria (draped in green, using a horn) to his left and the goddess of Liberty to his right. Liberty wears a red liberty cap, symbolizing emancipation, from a Roman tradition where slaves being manumitted would be given a felt cap ( Latin ''pileus''). She holds a

fasces Fasces ( ; ; a ''plurale tantum'', from the Latin word ''fascis'', meaning "bundle"; it, fascio littorio) is a bound bundle of wooden rods, sometimes including an axe (occasionally two axes) with its blade emerging. The fasces is an Italian symbo ...

in her right hand and an open book in the other, to which Washington gestures with his right hand. Forming a circle between Liberty and Victory are 13 maidens, each with a star above her head, representing the original

13 colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centuri ...

. Several of the maidens have their backs turned to Washington, said to represent the colonies that had seceded from the Union at the time of painting. Across the circle from Washington is the banner '' E Pluribus Unum'' meaning "out of many, one". Surrounding Washington, the two goddesses and the 13 maidens are six scenes lining the perimeter, each representing a national concept allegorically: from directly below Washington in the center and moving clockwise, "War," "Science," "Marine," "Commerce," "Mechanics," and "Agriculture". The perimeter scenes are not fully visible from the floor of the Capitol.

References

External links

''The Apotheosis of Washington''Architect of the Capitol

ttp://virginia.edu The University of Virginia
The Telegraph Field : Valentia Island, Ireland

Figure 49. Study for the ''Apotheosis of George Washington''
c. 1863 (photo),
apotheosisofwashington.com
dedicated website with interactive panorama view
Presidents Day and the ''Apotheosis of Washington''
Online Library of Liberty {{DEFAULTSORT:Apotheosis of Washington George Washington in art 1865 paintings Paintings in the United States Capitol Fresco paintings in the United States Birds in art Horses in art American paintings Religion and society in the United States Musical instruments in art Rainbows in art Neptune (mythology) Mercury (mythology) Paintings of Minerva Paintings of goddesses Paintings of gods

Ceres Ceres most commonly refers to: * Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid * Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres may also refer to: Places Brazil * Ceres, Goiás, Brazil * Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás st ...

Symbolism

See also

References

External links