The Art Collection

The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill set off the California gold rush of 1849. In this scene prospectors dig for gold with picks and shovels and pan for the precious metal. In the center three well-dressed men, possibly Sutter and two friends, carefully examine the contents of a prospector's pan. This was the last scene designed by Constantino Brumidi and painted by Filippo Costaggini. (1848)

William Henry Powell’s canvas shows Spanish conquistador and explorer Hernando De Soto riding a white horse and dressed in Renaissance finery arriving at the Mississippi River.

Doric columns typically have a simple, rounded capital at the top; a heavy, fluted or smooth column shaft; and no base. Flutes are vertical, parallel channels that run the length of a column.

Representing the Great Banks and North Atlantic fisheries, this vignette depicts salt bins, a rod shed, and a pier; a three-masted ship is seen offshore.

This statue of Dwight Eisenhower was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Kansas in 2003. His statue replaced that of George W. Glick and marked the first time that a state had replaced one of its statues.

Edward Clark, the longest-serving architect to date (1865-1902), completed the porticoes of the new wing extensions and oversaw construction of the first Library of Congress building (now named the Jefferson building).

The statue of Edward Dickinson Baker depicts him as a legislator. It features a plumed military hat resting on a book, which sits upon a sword symbolic of his military service.

This statue of Edward Douglass White was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Louisiana in 1955. White served in the U.S. Senate and on the Supreme Court.

Edward I (1239-1307) King of England. Founded the parliamentary constitution of England. Eliminated the divisive political effects of the feudal system.

This statue of Edward Lewis Bartlett was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Alaska in 1971. Bartlett served as Alaska's first senator after the state's admission to the union in 1959.

Elliott Woods, who served as Architect of the Capitol from 1902 to 1923, constructed the first House and Senate office buildings (now named the Cannon and Russell buildings, respectively).

This painting depicts the Pilgrims on the deck of the ship Speedwell on July 22, 1620, before they departed from Delfs Haven, Holland, for North America, where they sought religious freedom.