N.E. View of the United States Capitol, Washington. D.C.

Object Details

This large 1863 print of the newly completed Capitol dome and extensions must have made printer Henry Sartain proud. He included his name as the artist, engraver, and publisher—one of the first times he claimed all three titles. He succeeded his well-known father, printer John Sartain, as proprietor of the family business in 1863. Although the Civil War was still raging, Sartain provides viewers with a peaceful group of visitors in the foreground. Dogs play in the grass while well-dressed citizens promenade in their top hats and bonnets. Had any of them looked up to the top of the dome, they would not have seen the statue of Freedom that Sartain depicts because it was hauled into place many months after Sartain made the print.