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The Apotheosis of Washington is thefresco painted byGreek-Italian artistConstantino Brumidi in 1865 and visible through theoculus of the dome in therotunda of theUnited States Capitol Building inWashington, D.C.
The fresco is suspended 180 feet (55 m) above the rotunda floor and covers an area of 4,664 square feet (433.3 m2). The figures painted are up to 15 feet (4.6 m) tall and are visible from the floor below. The dome was completed in 1863, and Brumidi painted it over the course of eleven months at the end of theAmerican Civil War. He was paid $40,000 ($821,652 in today's funds[1]) for the fresco.
Brumidi had worked for three years in theVatican underPope Gregory XVI, and served severalaristocrats as an artist forpalaces andvillas, including the princeTorlonia. Heimmigrated to the United States in 1852, and spent much of the last 25 years of his life working in the Capitol. In addition toThe Apotheosis of Washington, Brumidi designed theBrumidi Corridors, ornately decorated corridors on the first floor of theSenate wing of the Capitol.[2]
The Apotheosis of Washington depictsGeorge Washington sitting among the heavens in an exalted manner, or in literary terms, ascending and becoming a god (apotheosis),Jupiter Indiges. Washington, the firstU.S. president andcommander-in-chief of theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War, isallegorically represented, surrounded by figures fromclassical mythology.
George Washington is draped inpurple, worn by generals of the ancientRoman Republic during theirtriumphs, with arainbow arch at his feet, flanked by the goddessVictoria, who is draped in green, blowing a horn, to his left and thegoddess Liberty to his right. Liberty wears a redliberty cap, symbolizing emancipation, from a Roman tradition where slaves beingmanumitted would be given a felt cap (Latinpileus). She holds afasces in her right hand and an open book in the other, to which George Washington gestures with his right hand.
Forming a circle between Liberty and Victory are 13 maidens, each with a star above her head representing the originalThirteen Colonies. Several of the maidens have their backs turned to George Washington, said to represent the colonies that had seceded from the Union at the time of painting. Across the circle from George Washington is the bannerE Pluribus Unum,Latin for "out of many, one".
Surrounding George Washington, the two goddesses and the 13 maidens are six scenes lining the perimeter, each representing a national concept allegorically: from directly below George Washington in the center and moving clockwise, "War", "Science", "Marine", "Commerce", "Mechanics" and "Agriculture". The perimeter scenes are not fully visible from the floor of theUnited States Capitol.
| Scene | Description |
|---|---|
 | War Freedom (also known asColumbia) asBellona, is directly belowGeorge Washington. The scene depicts a woman fighting for liberty with a raised sword, a cape, and ahelmet andshield (in the colors of theU.S. flag) trampling figures representingTyranny and Kingly Power. To Freedom's left assisting her is a fiercebald eagle (thenational bird of the United States) as theEagle of Zeus, carryingarrows and athunderbolt (reminiscent of the arrows carried by the eagle in theGreat Seal of the United States). |
 | Science Minerva, the Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom, is portrayed with helmet andspear pointing to anelectrical generator creating power stored inbatteries next to aprinting press, representing great American inventions. American scientists and inventorsBenjamin Franklin,Samuel F. B. Morse, andRobert Fulton watch. In the left part of the scene a teacher demonstrates the use of dividers. |
 | Marine This scene showsNeptune, the Romansea-god, withtrident andcrown ofseaweed riding in ashellchariot drawn by sea horses.Venus, goddess of love born from the sea, is depicted helping to lay thetransatlantic telegraph cable which ran from North America to the Telegraph Field in Ireland.[3] In the background is anironclad warship withsmokestacks. |
 | Commerce Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, with his wingedpetasos andsandals and acaduceus, is depicted giving abag of gold toAmerican Revolutionary War financierRobert Morris. To the left, men move a box on adolly; on the right, theanchor andsailors lead into "Marine". |
 | Mechanics Vulcan, the Roman god offire and theforge, is depicted standing at ananvil with his foot on acannon next to a pile ofcannonballs. Asteam engine is in the background. The man at the forge is thought to represent Charles Thomas, the supervisor of ironwork during the construction of the Capitol dome. |
 | Agriculture Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, is shown with a wreath ofwheat and acornucopia, symbol of plenty, while sitting on aMcCormickmechanical reaper. The personification of Young America in aliberty cap holds thereins of the horses, while the goddessFlora gathers flowers in the foreground. |
Excerpt describing Constantino Brumidi's contributions to the decorations in the U.S. Capitol.
38°53′23″N77°0′32″W / 38.88972°N 77.00889°W /38.88972; -77.00889
