File:History-Dielman-Highsmith.jpeg

Summary

History, mosaic by Frederick Dielman. House Members Room, Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.

The figure of History, in the mosaic's center, holds a pen and book. On both sides of her, there are tablets mounted in a marble wall with benches on either side of the tablets. The tablets contain the names of great historians. One tablet contains the names of the ancient historians <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Herodotus" class="mw-redirect" title="Herodotus">Herodotus</a> and <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Thucydides" class="mw-redirect" title="Thucydides">Thucydides</a> in brighter gold, followed by <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polybius&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Polybius (page does not exist)">Polybius</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Livy" class="mw-redirect" title="Livy">Livy</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Tacitus" class="mw-disambig" title="Tacitus">Tacitus</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=B%C3%A6da&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bæda (page does not exist)">Bæda</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comines&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Comines (page does not exist)">Comines</a>. The other tablet contains the name of the modern historians <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/David_Hume" title="David Hume">Hume</a> and <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gibbon" title="Edward Gibbon">Gibbon</a> in brighter gold, along with <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Niebuhr&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Niebuhr (page does not exist)">Niebuhr</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guizot&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Guizot (page does not exist)">Guizot</a>, <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranke&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ranke (page does not exist)">Ranke</a>, and the Americans <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bancroft&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bancroft (page does not exist)">Bancroft</a> and <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Motley&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Motley (page does not exist)">Motley</a>. At the foot of one of the tablets is a laurel wreath symbolizing peace, and at the foot of the second tablet is an oak wreath symbolizing war. A palm branch designating success rests against the wreaths and tablets.

The female figure on one side of History is Mythology. As the symbol of the theories of the universe, she holds a globe of the earth in her left hand. The Greeks' female sphinx to her right represents the eternally insoluble Riddle of the World. Tradition, the aged woman seated on the other side of History, represents medieval legend and folk tales. She is shown in the midst of relating her old wives' tales to the young boy seated before her. The distaff in her lap, the youth with a harp in his hand (a reference to the wandering minstrel of the Middle Ages), and the shield are reminders of a past age. The mosaic includes ancient buildings from the three nations of antiquity with highly developed histories: an Egyptian pyramid, a Greek temple, and a Roman amphitheater.

Along with the mosaic panel representing Law above the north fireplace, this mosaic was prepared in Venice, Italy and sent to the Jefferson Building to be put into place. Both mosaics were made of pieces, or tesserae, which were fitted together to provide subtle gradations in color.

(Much of the preceding text is derived from the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.loc.gov/jefftour/cm/cm-mos-s.html">Library of Congress's virtual tour</a> of the <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Jefferson_Building&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Thomas Jefferson Building (page does not exist)">Thomas Jefferson Building</a>.)

Licensing

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