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N. E. View of the United States Capitol. Proof.
Philadelphia: Printed by Ja[me]s. Irving, No. 728 Sansom St., 1863. Steel engraving, 15.15” x 26.65”, on sheet, 20” x 30”. CONDITION: Very good, light wear. A splendid view of the U.S. Capitol building published while it was undergoing expansion in the midst of the Civil War, but showing it as the printmakers thought it would appear when completed. As the engraving was made before the new dome was finished its proportions as shown here are inaccurate. This impressive print conveys the Capitol Building’s monumental presence and is enlivened by a throng of people, horses, and dogs in the foreground whose presence communicates the public interest in the building’s renovations. Text to the left and right of the title identifies those involved in the design, etc. of both the original building and the later expansions. By 1850, the influx of states joining the Union resulted in insufficient space in the Capitol Building to accommodate the increased number of representatives. In response to this incapacity, Congress hired architect Thomas U. Walter to extend both the north and south wings and replace the dome. Construction began in 1851—when President Millard Fillmore placed the cornerstone of the House wing—and continued through the Civil War with some disruptions caused by the conflict (the dark clouds in the background of the engraving may be a subtle reference to the ongoing war). The final section of the Statue of Freedom was mounted atop the building’s dome on December 2nd 1863, although work still continued inside the Capitol. Born in Philadelphia, Henry Sartain (1833–1895) was an engraver, painter, and architectural draftsman. The son of engraver John Sartain (1808–1897), who is considered the father of mezzotint engraving in America, Henry trained as an engraver under his father and is thought to have studied art at Pennsylvania Academy, where he exhibited works in the 1850s and ‘60s. In 1866 he abandoned engraving to establish a printing firm to produce his father’s plates. John Sartain very likely assisted in the creation of this view. REFERENCES: Groce and Wallace, p. 558; “N.E. View of the United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.” at United States Senate online.
Item #6507
Price: $2,500.00
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