''Carvings (Indiana State Library)'', is a series of

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

panels decorating the facade of the Indiana State Library in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, United States. The reliefs were designed by artist

Léon Hermant Leon Hermant (1866–1936) was an American sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture. Hermant was born in France, educated in Europe and came to America in 1904 to work on the French Pavilion at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. ...

and carved by German sculptor

Adolph Wolter Adolph Gustav Wolter von Ruemelin (September 7, 1903 – October 15, 1980), transplanted sculptor in Indiana, was born on September 7, 1903, in Reutlingen (Baden-Württemberg), Germany, in the southern region of that country. The second of thr ...

in 1934. The panels on the east facade are approximately , the low panels on the east facade are approximately inches, and the classical figures are each approximately . The library building was dedicated December 7, 1934.

Description

The Indiana State Library Carvings are a series of bas-relief limestone panels. Located beneath the cornice line on the east side of the building, ten square relief panels depict the founding and growth of the state of Indiana. The first panel, the Explorer, illustrates La Salle at portage between the St. Joseph and

Kankakee River The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in the Corn Belt, Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest we ...

s. The next panel, the Soldier, shows

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American military officer and surveyor from Virginia who became the highest-ranking Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot military officer on the American frontier, nort ...

and the capture of

Vincennes Vincennes (; ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Vincennes is famous for its castle: the Château de Vincennes. It is next to but does not include the ...

. The next panel depicts the Pioneer followed by a panel depicting the Farmer. Next is a panel depicting the Legislator and the signing of the state constitution; followed by panels of the Miner, the Builder, the Manufacturer, the Educator and the Aspiring Student. Above the ground floor windows, a second set of eight relief panels depict an Indian with a peace pipe, the Trapper, the Priest, the Pioneer, the Plainsman, Invention (a movie camera), Transportation (an airplane), and Arts (an artist with brushes and pencils). On the south side of the building, individual figures represent: Science, History, Invention, and Religion. Figures on the north side represent: Philosophy, Art, Charity, and Justice. Above the building's entrance is an owl holding a book open with its proper left claw. On each side of the entrance is a seated female classical figure sitting back to back, each writing on a tablet with her proper right hand.

References

External links

{{Portal, Visual arts
Indiana State Library Carvings on Flickr
1934 establishments in Indiana 1934 sculptures Limestone sculptures in Indiana Native Americans in art Outdoor sculptures in Indianapolis Owls in art Sculptures of birds in the United States Sculptures of books Sculptures of men in Indiana Sculptures of women in Indiana