36 × 50 in. (91.4 × 127 cm)
Framed: 48 × 62 in. (121.9 × 157.5 cm)
Accession Number
2003.005.000
Credit Line
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
Object Details
In the 1960s, the House’s Members and Family Committee Room received this painting, Flowers of Joy. The painting arrived just as the room’s purpose and location were shifting to a more domestic space. A suite for Members and their families grew out of the mid-19th century practice of reserving a lounge for women visiting the Capitol. A century later, spaces were no longer segregated by gender. At the same time, more Members brought their families to live with them in the Washington area while they served in Congress. The Ladies Retiring Room, therefore, easily evolved into space for Representatives’ spouses and children to use while the House was in session. Paintings like this one gave the room a homey feel.
