The Art Collection

The bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been on display in the Capitol Rotunda since 1986. The bronze sculpture is 36 inches high on a 66-inch high Belgian black marble base.

The richly patterned and colored Minton tile floors are one of the most striking features of the extensions of the United States Capitol. They were first installed in 1856, when Thomas U. Walter was engaged in the design and construction of vast additions to the Capitol (1851-1865). For the floors in his extensions, Walter chose encaustic tile for its beauty, durability and sophistication.

Moses (c. 1350-1250 B.C.) Hebrew prophet and lawgiver. Transformed a wandering people into a nation; received the Ten Commandments.

This statue of Mother Joseph was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Washington in 1980.

"Mountains and Clouds" is the most monumental and most modern sculpture on the United States Capitol campus. This piece is Alexander Calder's only work that combined a separate mobile and a stabile (or standing sculpture).

Napoleon I (1769-1821) Emperor of France. Appointed a commission to draw up the Code Civil, a combination of tradition and Roman law that influenced the legal systems of European and American states during the 19th century.

This statue of Nathanael Greene was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Rhode Island in 1870.