Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-26
NEW MURALS STIR
NEBRASKA'S PRIDE
Panels for Governors Recep.
ton Room in Capitol Held
Artistic Triumph.
Special TO The Star and North American


Special to The Star and North American
Newspaper Alliance.
LINCOLN, Nebr., December 26.-The
murals for Nebraska's new Capitol are
to be unveiled New Year day and
room one of the finest in the country,
just as the Capitol itself, designed by
Bertram G.. Goodhue, Is attracting the
attention Of the architectural world.
The murals are by Augustus Vim.
cent Tack.
The reception room Is a barrel vault
IS feet high, 40 feet long and 90 feet
wide. The room divides itself into
three parts, side walls, upper and
lower vaults. The ideas expressed in
these areas refer to the State, it's citi-
zens and the fundamental activities of
life.
resenting the State, is the primitive
pioneer head Of a woman. done in
"grisaille" and surrounded by a
wreath suggestive of prosperity and
riches. This Is surmounted by the
motto, Equality before the law"
Portrayed as Protection.
On the left Of this mantel the State
Is represented as the protector of the
sick in its hospitals, and the helpless
in its asylums. On the other side of
the mantel the State appears as the
provider OF learning, and this Is SYM
bolized by figures representing phi
losophy. science and art. A youth
stands before them to make his choice
of one or all.
the two in the center representing the
he I'd Of ho diyn nf
marriage and the sacredness of moth
erhood. Two smaller panels, which
also are repeated on the opposite wall,
comprising the four corners of the
room. contain groups of children. these
signifying that the four corners are
upheld by its youth. the future of the
State.
On the long wall opposite the win.
dows are the three guarantees or the
State. liberty of speech, liberty OF
divine worship. the rights of suffrage.
In the center panel appears a sentence
from the Book of Revelations: THE
voice of God Is as the sound of many
waters" The group comprising this
panel are listening to this voice. To
the left Is a group expressing the eff.
fects Of liberty of speech. The panel
on the right Of the center expresses
the idea Of rights of suffrage.
Attributes Represented.
On the east wall opposite the fre.
place IL an allegorical group OF three
figures representing the divine attri-
butes OF understanding. justice and
mercy. directly over the door which
leads into the governors private room.
On either side of this center are
figures representing the various con-
ditions OF human life. old age. the fam.
lily. motherhood. the rich and poor.
strong and weak. and all form part of
a continuous professional. emphasiZ-
ing the meaning of the motto OF the
State. Equality Before the Law"
In the upper section OF this end wall
the civilizations from which we have
derived our culture and our codes OF
law are represented. These are India,
Babylonia. Judea. Egypt, Greece,
Rome, France and England. and above
this group is one sentence from the
Declaration OF Independence. IAN men
are endowed by their Creator with GER
tain inalienable rights. among these
are life. liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness"
The pendentives contain motives ex.
pressing the virtues OF citizenship,
such as hospitality. friendship. char.
ity and honesty. solidarity. concord.
labor and hope. In the sofiits OF the
penetrations are six medallions sur.
rounded by decorative borders and
they bear the names of six great citi-
zens OF the United States. In the
place of honor Is the name of Lincoln.
On the opposite wall Ii the name OF
Washington and on either side the
names OF Jefferson and Hamilton. On
either side of Lincoln are Franklin
and Marshall.