The Apotheosis of Washington

Washington DC is a city with many classic sights and architectural wonders  - particularly the numerous majestic buildings. The US Capitol is one of those majestic buildings that any tourist must visit. . At the heart of the building is the Rotunda - a circular hall of 96 ft diameter.  At the center, a 180 foot above on the ceiling is a massive fresco - ' The apotheosis of George Washington'. This mural consists of a portrait of the first President of the United States rising to the heavens flanked by the figures of Liberty/Authority and Victory/Fame.

The Apotheosis was painted in the true fresco technique by Constantino Brumidi  in 1865. Brumidi (1805-1880) was born and trained in Rome and had painted in the Vatican and Roman palaces before emigrating to the United States in 1852. A master of creating the illusion of three-dimensional forms and figures on flat walls, Brumidi painted frescoes and murals throughout the Capitol from 1855 until his death.

If you are tourist on a Trip to DC, remember to book a guided tour into the US Capitol . This can be done online at  http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/

 US Capitol, Washington DC.

May 2011

US CAPITOL

This year decided to head for the United States for our annual vacation and our first stop was Washington DC - the capital of the country. A beautiful city, Washington has some of the most majestic and grand buildings anywhere and the grandest of these all is The US Capitol, the seat of the US Government. 

The building  is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It stands today as a monunent to the country and the American people. The U.S. Capitol houses the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives where meetings have been conducted for the last 2 centuries.

The most prominant and famous landmark , probably in the entire United States is the Dome on top of the United States Capitol. The dome was constructed with 8,909,200 pounds of ironwork and finished at a total cost of $ 1,047,291. 

Atop the Capitol Dome proudly stands the 'The statue of Freedom'. This was put in place in the year 1863. Freedom is a massive bronze statue standing over 19 ft and weighs 6800 Kg. Her crest peaks at 288 ft above the East Plaza.

 Another view of the U.S Capitol

As a visitor , you must go inside the building and see the magnificiant interiors. You can enter the building through the Capitol Visitor Centre located underground on the East side. You could also take a tour of the building - however this has to be booked in advance online through the official site of Capitol - http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/visit/.

The original plaster cast of the Statue of Freedom at the Capitol Visitor Centre

The visitor centre is mainly designed as a holding zone for visitors waiting to take tours of the Capitol. Visitors are free to roam around in the CVC which houses an exhibition hall, 2 gift shops and a 530 seat food court. 

The Visitors Centre also has a number of statues on display . These are 24 in number.
Be sure to take an official tour of the US Capitol. It is free but you need to register online for the specific time slot available.
 More on the US Capitol in my next post.
Do visit    Caught on Camera     for many more images and photographs of Washington DC and other interesting places.