Art & Literature

The Murals of The Library of Congress

The amazing murals of the United States Library of Congress were painted by a series of artists, including William A. Mackay, Edwin Blashfield, Robert Reid, Gari Melchers, William de Leftwich Dodge, and George Willough by Maynard just to name a few. Some of the most stunning, however, can be attributed to an artist by the name of George Barse Jr. as seen in the photos below.

Library of Congress Mural Information

Although originally founded in 1800, construction of a new library building in the style of the Italian Renaissance was underway by 1886. The design was prepared by Washington architects John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz. Beginning in 1892, a new architect, Edward Pearce Casey began to supervise the interior work, including sculptural and painted decoration by more than 50 American artists!
When the Library of Congress building opened its doors to the public on Nov. 1, 1897, it was hailed as a glorious national monument and "the largest, the costliest, and the safest" library building in the world.