Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 17.pdf/595

This page needs to be proofread.

566

THE GREEN BAG

THE SUPREME COURT-ROOM OF THE MINNESOTA CAPITOL BY BERTA THE recently completed capitol of Min nesota contains what is probably the most beautiful court-room in the United States. It is a room full of dignity, har monious with unified thought, and above all impressive in the consistent application of the decoration to the use of the room. The court-room is merely one part of a splendid whole, for the State house is a build ing of surprising beauty. It stands upon high ground and can be seen from almost

NABERSBERG with the capitol at Washington, the Con gressional Library, and the Boston Public Library. John La Farge, Edward Sim mons, Edwin H. Blashfield, Kenyon Cox, Douglas Volk, F. D. Millet, Daniel Chester French, H. 0. Walker, and Elmer E. Garnsey have been chosen to enrich the splendid background provided by the architect, Cass Gilbert. To some extent the decorations illustrate historic periods and incidents in the life of the state.

MORAL AND DIVINE LAW (Copyright, 1904, by John La Farge)

every part of the beautiful city which forms its setting — seeming itself a seat of restfulness and purity. The building is of white Georgia marble piled in the Italian rennaisance style, chaste, perfectly propor tioned and as harmonious in lines as beau tiful music. The dome, the largest marble dome in the country, is as exact a copy of the dome of St. Peter's at Rome as is pos sible. Effort has been made to make the capitol in every respect worthy of being classed

Outside, over the great doorway, are six symbolic figures of heroic size, by Daniel Chester French, representing Wisdom, Jus tice, Prudence, Truth, Bounty, and Courage. In the interior many marbles and stones have been used, relieved by rich color in side-panels and ceilings, and by embellish ments of gold. In the rotunda, soft grays and dull blue are used with the gold, and through the corridors rich red is introduced in panels. The senate occupies the west wing of the building, the House of Repre