I’ve been excited since First Lady Jane Beshear announced that the murals were coming to the Capitol. Part of the Capitol’s original design, plans were set aside after artist Frank Millet (a friend of then-Gov. August E. Willson) died on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. One hundred years later, the Capitol finally has its murals! This is the final of four posts about the murals.
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| “Civitas” Mural, Capitol, Frankfort, Ky. |
This mural, Civitas, represents the “light of progress.” Athena, the Roman goddess of civilization, symbolizes progress and strength. Athena refers to a paper in the hand of the male standing next to, and enlightened by, her looks forward toward the future. The kneeling male holds a lantern to illuminate – a sign of both the future and Kentucky’s coal heritage. In background-right, the Roebling Bridge – the architect’s precursor to the Brooklyn Bridge – links Covington with Cincinnati. In background-left, the Jefferson Davis obelisk and the Lincoln Birthplace Memorial remind us of Kentucky’s historical importance as the birthplace of these two leaders.
I think that the Civitas mural is my favorite as it beckons a continued hope for Kentucky as “the light of progress.” I am also quite fond of the Roebling Bridge which appears in the background. All of the murals, however, are quite beautiful as is the newly painted rotunda.