''Carvings (Indiana State Library)'', is a series of

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

panels decorating the facade of the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, United States. The reliefs were designed by artist Léon Hermant and carved by German sculptor Adolph Wolter in 1934. The panels on the east facade are approximately , the low panels on the east facade are approximately inches, and the classical figures are each approximately . The library building was dedicated December 7, 1934.

Description

The Indiana State Library Carvings are a series of bas-relief limestone panels. Located beneath the cornice line on the east side of the building, ten square relief panels depict the founding and growth of the state of Indiana. The first panel, the Explorer, illustrates La Salle at portage between the

St. Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers o ...

and

Kankakee River The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in the Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in ...

s. The next panel, the Soldier, shows

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Ame ...

and the capture of

Vincennes Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attach ...

. The next panel depicts the Pioneer followed by a panel depicting the Farmer. Next is a panel depicting the Legislator and the signing of the state constitution; followed by panels of the Miner, the Builder, the Manufacturer, the Educator and the Aspiring Student. Above the ground floor windows, a second set of eight relief panels depict an Indian with a peace pipe, the Trapper, the Priest, the Pioneer, the Plainsman, Invention (a movie camera), Transportation (an airplane), and Arts (an artist with brushes and pencils). On the south side of the building, individual figures represent: Science, History, Invention, and Religion. Figures on the north side represent: Philosophy, Art, Charity, and Justice. Above the building's entrance is an owl holding a book open with its proper left claw. On each side of the entrance is a seated female classical figure sitting back to back, each writing on a tablet with her proper right hand.

Artists

* Léon Hermant, designer * Adolph Wolter, sculptor

References

{{reflist

External links

Indiana State Library Carvings on Flickr
Outdoor sculptures in Indianapolis Culture of Indianapolis 1934 sculptures Limestone sculptures in Indiana 1934 establishments in Indiana