United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. Perspective from the Northeast – Antique Wall Art
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
Few images capture their era like this historic drawing of United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. Perspective from the Northeast. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.
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United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. Perspective from the Northeast
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Benjamin Henry Latrobe's 1806 watercolor is a presentation drawing made for Thomas Jefferson, and its inscription on the recto, "TO THOMAS JEFFERSON Pres. U.S.," marks it as a gift to the president rather than a working plan. It shows the east front of the Capitol as Latrobe imagined it, with some differences from both the design Congress had approved and the building that was eventually raised. Latrobe was the architect who took over the unfinished Capitol after William Thornton and Stephen Hallet, and in these years he was shaping its interiors and wings under Jefferson's administration. The drawing lets viewers compare his intentions with the Capitol as it was actually built.
| Created / published | c. 1806 |
|---|---|
| Medium | drawing on paper, watercolor, ink, and wash, 49 x 59 cm. |
| Notes | Presentation drawing by Latrobe, showing the Capitol's east facade, with minor variations both from the design as it was then accepted and from the design as built. Inscription on recto: "TO THOMAS JEFFERSON Pres. U.S., B.H. LATROBE, 1806." Latrobe, Benjamin Henry, architect |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 4,200 × 2,883 px · prints to 14 × 10 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | 09501u |
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