Bridgeton pioneer., 1904-05-26
SENATE CHAMBER
WILL BE BEAUTIFUL,

Trenton, May 24.-There is forest
Of wood in the new Senate Chamber
on which the work men are putting in
place the mural pictures of historical
events and illustrations Of the indus
tries of New Jersey. The work has
been in progress for the last six weeks,
during which time the walls of the
corridors leading to the chamber have
been done in dark. rich red, the
pilasters which rise from the wains-
coting to the ceiling painted golden
brown.
It is the purpose Of the State House
Commission to make the decorations
of the new Senate Chamber among
the finest in the United States and to
that end the work has been in the
hands of W. B. Van Ingen, the deco
rative artist of New York. In deter
mining on the artist to do this work
the State House Commission visited
the Congressional Library in which
examples of Mr.. Van Ingen's work
are shown.
The correspondent is indebted to
Mr.. Van Ingen for the details Of the
decorative plan of the new Senate
Chamber. These details were decided
in conversation.with Governor Muir
ply, State Treasurer Briggs and other
State officials last year. In the Van
Ingen studio in New York artists have
been at work ever since painting the
historical and illustrative pictures.
This work is all done and the work
men here have already put on eight Of
the handsome panels. The decorative.
scheme of the chamber is as follows:
The seal Of the State furnishes the
motive, as typi6ed by the two figures,
Abundance and Liberty. These lead
ing subjects are being placed in the
panels over the presidents desk The
cause Of liberty is the action of the
State in the Revolutionary War, and
the causes of Abundance, theNmodern
industries.
To the right and left of the presi.
DENTS panel are being placed paintings
representing the battle of Monmouth
and the battle of Trenton, and on the
same wall the silk industry and the
pottery industry are represented.
These subjects are given prominent
positions as they are the two leading
industries of the State.
On the wall opposite the Presidents
desk, Legislation and Justice are rep
resented in the centre panel, and to
the right and left of it are the pictures
of the battle Of Princeton, Iron and
Steel Industry, Glass Industry and
Washington at Morristown.
On the east wall, Education and
Commerce and Building are repre-
sented. and on the west wall. Elec.
1tricity, Agriculture and Terra Gotta.
Mr.. Van Ingen has endeavored to
represent the modern industries rather
than the classical suggestions of them.
This is somewhat of an innovation in
public building. but one which it is
believed will grow. AS an example
of this work the artist has represented
Vulcan looking at a modern 5000 ton
hydraulic hammer and the drawing of
this modern steel implement is faith
fully drawn instead of being suggested
by classical suggestions. In the mural
nicturo IF sEduoat;cv, t+bn ,.+,c+ L..
Nassau Hall as his subject and built
around it only modern thoughts. In
the building panel he has taken the
usual steel skeleton of modern sky
scraper. wnIfaithfully, and placed
on it the allegorical figure of builder.
In the panel representing the.battle of
Monmouth there appears the incident
of Molly Pitcher taking her husband s
place, after his death, and in the panel
representing the battle Of Princeton,
the death Of General Mercer, who was
stabbed to death with bayonets, fur
nishes the motives.
w. B. Van Ingen, the artist who is
doing the decorating, served in the
studio Of John LaFarge and Louis @.
Tiffany in New York and in atelier of
Leon Bonnat in Paris. Examples of
his workImay.be found in the entrance
vestibule Of theDU United States Mintlin
Philadelphia, the Congressional Lii
brary in Washington, the Union Club
in New York, the Edison Illuminating
Company 'sloffice and in the residences
of Spencer Trask at Saratoga. Charles
7. Yerkes in New York, L. q. Letter
in Washington.
Mr.. Van. Ingen commenced his art
studies in the Pennsylvania Academy
of Fine Arts in. Philadelphia.
" A1H-
A woman treasures her love letters
as man does his due bills.
:.