''Frances Elizabeth Willard'' is a public artwork designed by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

artist Lorado Taft, located in the rotunda of the

Indiana State House The Indiana Statehouse is the List of state capitols in the United States, state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court, and other st ...

, in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, United States. It is a bronze plaque, given by the

Women's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

, commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Frances Elizabeth Willard's election as President of the WCTU.

Description

This

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

plaque measures 32 inches wide, 49 3/4 inches tall, and 1/2 inch deep. It has an

inscription Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

at the top and an inscription at the bottom. A right side profile

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

of Frances Elizabeth Willard is between the two inscriptions. She is depicted wearing a dress with leg-o-mutton sleeves and a high lace neck. Her hair is pulled back into a

bun A bun is a type of bread roll, typically filled with savory fillings (for example hamburger). A bun may also refer to a sweet cake in certain parts of the world. Though they come in many shapes and sizes, buns are most commonly round, and are ...

. The inscription on the top of the plaque reads: The inscription on the bottom of the plaque reads: The artist's signature is located on the front, proper left, bottom of the relief. It reads, "Lorado Taft Sc. 1929." The plaque is in excellent condition.

Historical information

Location history

This plaque is located in the Indiana Statehouse Rotunda on the main floor.Indiana State Museum. ''Engraving of Frances Elizabeth Willard'', ID 99.2006.020.0065. 25 September 2006. Retrieved from Indiana State Museum Mimsy Database 18 November 2010. In 1968, there were new rules proposed to Governor

Roger D. Branigin Roger Douglas Branigin (July 26, 1902 – November 19, 1975) was an American politician who was the List of governors of Indiana, 42nd governor of Indiana, serving from January 11, 1965, to January 13, 1969. A World War II veteran and well-kno ...

by Hubert H. Hawkins, director of the Indiana Historical Bureau, Mrs. Floyd Hopper, head of the Indiana Division in the Indiana State Library, and Robert D. Starrett,

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

of the Indiana State Museum regarding the display of

paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, busts, plaques and other

memorials A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, Tragedy (event), tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objec ...

within the Indiana Statehouse. The guidelines were created to ensure a stable and continuous policy prevail when choosing the artwork to be displayed in the Statehouse. If these guidelines were accepted, which they were not, the Frances Elizabeth Willard plaque would have been removed, along with the Sarah T. Bolton plaque. Recommended guidelines included: # Those individuals or events being commemorated should have a significant relationship to Indiana and/or Indiana history. # Each display should have statewide importance. # Individuals should not be honored until 10 years after their death. # Statuary and plaques should be made of durable materials and busts should have identifying information attached to it. # All items should be artistically acceptable. # Those not meeting these requirements should be removed.

References

External links

Indiana Statehouse Tour Office

View more photos of this piece and other artwork found at the Indiana Statehouse
{{Lorado Taft 1929 sculptures Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection Monuments and memorials in Indiana Sculptures by Lorado Taft Bronze sculptures in Indiana Reliefs in the United States Frances Willard

Description

Historical information

Location history

See also

References

External links