Elements of Art

 This week I will be talking about a piece of work that I personally love.  I discovered this piece of art when I traveled to Washington, D.C. for a school trip.  Coming from a small island in Alaska, I was amazed by all the new architecture I was seeing and the art that was embedded into the city.

This art piece below is the Apotheosis of Washington by Constantino Brumidi in 1865.  This amazing piece is visible through the eye of the dome in the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building where I believe it was also created.  I remember walking into the dome with my classmates and amazed by the way it caught the attention of every eye as you entered the room.  In this masterpiece, you can see symbolism, depth, realism, illusion, and the use of light that shone through in this work.  Symbolism is brought to life in many ways but also famously with the presence of George Washington.  George Washington is seated in the heavens and could be seen as Washington becoming a god due to Washington being honored as a national icon in the nineteenth century.  Symbols on the outer layer also represent war, science, agriculture, mechanics, and few other principles.  Furthermore, illusion is something in this piece that might not be noticed at first.  At first glance, you might think that it is a three-dimension piece.  This is not the case.  Constantino Brumidi was "a master of creating an illusion of three-dimensional forms and figures on flat walls." (Architect of the Capitol).  Throughout my research for this blog, this was something that surprised and amazed me.

    

Though I was in awe throughout my whole time in D.C., this was one piece that really caught my eye.  I could have stayed in that dome for hours looking up and dissecting every detail that was hidden within.  If you ever find yourself in D.C., I recommend that you go to the capitol building and enjoy the art and architecture of this building.

Here is a quick video that goes a little more in-depth on this art piece and the history that belongs to it:


Constantino Brumidi's "Study for the Apotheosis of Washington"


Citation

https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/apotheosis-washington

“Apotheosis of Washington.” Architect of the Capitol, www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/apotheosis-washington.

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 26, 2021 at 6:39 PM

    Wow that is truly amazing! I hope I can one day experience exploring all that art and architecture there in D.C.!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Heather McAloonMay 31, 2021 at 1:00 PM

    I have never visited Washington D.C. out of all the places I have traveled but I would really love to go there one day. I love the grey hues of pictures, because even though they are one color, it is different shades and you can see the difference it makes. You can see the photo almost looking as if it is over lapping and possibly higher then the other shades of grey. I am defiantly going to have to go there and visit to see all the paintings. Great Post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. addisonMay 31, 2021 at 8:07 PM

    This is awesome? I wonder, were you aware it was an illusion when you first saw it in person?

    ReplyDelete

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