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Minnesota State Capitol

State Capitol of Minnesota line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The drawing of the Minnesota State Capitol was completed in 1993. It was based upon sketches and photos I took of the building early in the summer. As I worked my way through the famous landmarks of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, naturally the state capitol would needed to be added. At this time, I very much favored straight on, symmetrical views. I'm not sure this would be the course I would now take. However, it would be unlikely that I would revisit this building for another drawing, as I rarely draw architecture now, and have moved to California. That said, I think it remains one of the strongest drawings of the building I have ever seen. The original had a stormy looking sky above it, but was removed later.

Information about the Minnesota State Capitol:

The Minnesota State Capitol is located in Saint Paul. The building was completed in 1905 at a cost of $4.5 million dollars. The architect was Cass Gilbert, who designed many prominent buildings in the central US. Gilbert took his inspiration from Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. The unsupported dome of the building is the second largest in the world, behind Saint Peter's. It is the third building to serve as Minnesota's capitol. The first burned down in 1881, and the second was deemed too small almost immediately after completion. One of the most notable features of the building are the gold gilded horses at the base of the dome in the front. This piece of art was designed and sculpted by Daniel Chester French and Edward Clark Potter. The four horses represent the power of nature: earth, fire, water and wind. At one time, the building had German quotations on the wall, but these were painted over during the tide of anti-German sentiment during World War II. These were later restored. The capitol building houses the Senate, House of Representatives, the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Governor.