Indiana (statue)
Encyclopedia
Indiana is a public art
work by Retta Matthews of Arlington, Indiana
that was originally displayed in the Indiana State Building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair
. The sculpture is currently located on the fourth floor of the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis
, Indiana
, USA.
on the fourth floor of the Statehouse. The surface of the sculpture is painted in a white, most likely lead-based, paint. However, other alternatives are possible, such as a lime water and vinegar mixture.
Another possibility is that, like the buildings of the Columbian Exposition, the statue is covered with a thin layer of plaster, cement, and jute fibers, which create a light but relatively durable surface.
The sculpture stands upright looking toward her right. The hair is wrapped loosely into a bun at the nape of the neck. The figure is dressed in a toga
that is banded at the waist and drapes behind the back. The skirt is gathered into her left hand where the figure holds a cluster morning glory
flowers. The sandal-clad feet touch at the heels with her toes pointed out. Behind her right foot lies an ear of corn.
This interest in Women's Work in the arts and literature led the committee to hold public meetings asking the women of Indiana for their support. The committee raised $2,651.41 to put towards their pursuits. Upon the discovery of three women, Retta Matthews, Frances Goodwin and Janet Scudder
, natives of Indiana who wished to become professional sculptors, the Women's committee chose a piece of work from each of the women to be exhibited in the Indiana State Building. The three statues chosen were Nymph by Janet Scudder, Education by Frances Goodwin, and Indiana by Retta Matthews. Matthews received $800 for her sculpture of Indiana from the Women's Committee.
The three statues were featured prominently in the assembly, or main reception room, of the Indiana State Building. Indiana was considered an "ideal figure of Indiana".
; because of this connection Nymph was placed in the Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library, where it has since gone missing. Education was given to the Propylaeum in Indianapolis. Indiana was placed in the Indiana Statehouse. In 1926 it was located on the third floor of the Statehouse and has since been moved to the fourth floor where it is now situated in a south-facing alcove.
, the Roman goddess of agriculture, because of her Roman-style garb
and the symbolism of agriculture
and bounty, as projected by the presence of the ear of corn at the statue's feet and the flowers in her hand.
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
work by Retta Matthews of Arlington, Indiana
Arlington, Indiana
Arlington is an unincorporated community in Posey Township, in the northwestern part of Rush County, Indiana, United States. It lies just south of the B&O Railroad, on U.S. Route 52, 8 miles west of Rushville. The elevation is .-References:...
that was originally displayed in the Indiana State Building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
. The sculpture is currently located on the fourth floor of the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA.
Description
Standing approximately five feet ten inches, Indiana stands alone in an alcoveAlcove
Alcove , a vault) is an architectural term for a recess in a room, usually screened off by pillars, balustrades or drapery.In geography and geology, the term Alcove is used for a wind-eroded depression in the side of a cliff of a homogenous rock type, famous from sandstones of the Colorado Plateau...
on the fourth floor of the Statehouse. The surface of the sculpture is painted in a white, most likely lead-based, paint. However, other alternatives are possible, such as a lime water and vinegar mixture.
Another possibility is that, like the buildings of the Columbian Exposition, the statue is covered with a thin layer of plaster, cement, and jute fibers, which create a light but relatively durable surface.
The sculpture stands upright looking toward her right. The hair is wrapped loosely into a bun at the nape of the neck. The figure is dressed in a toga
Toga
The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
that is banded at the waist and drapes behind the back. The skirt is gathered into her left hand where the figure holds a cluster morning glory
Morning glory
Morning glory is a common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics is in flux...
flowers. The sandal-clad feet touch at the heels with her toes pointed out. Behind her right foot lies an ear of corn.
Historical information
As part of the development for the Indiana State Building at the Chicago World's Fair it was decided by the Indiana Board of Managers that a special department of Women's Work be created and managed entirely by female members of the Board. The Committee on Women's Work designated five key goals they wished to achieve. One of which was "To secure a representation of the work of Indiana women in the lines of artistic embroideries, wood-carving, china decorating, drawing, painting, etc."This interest in Women's Work in the arts and literature led the committee to hold public meetings asking the women of Indiana for their support. The committee raised $2,651.41 to put towards their pursuits. Upon the discovery of three women, Retta Matthews, Frances Goodwin and Janet Scudder
Janet Scudder
Janet Scudder was an American sculptor.-Biography:Born as Netta Deweze Frazee, Scudder's childhood was marred by tragedy. Her father was a hardworking Terre Haute, Indiana confectioner who was active in community affairs. Her mother died, aged 38, on September 6, 1874...
, natives of Indiana who wished to become professional sculptors, the Women's committee chose a piece of work from each of the women to be exhibited in the Indiana State Building. The three statues chosen were Nymph by Janet Scudder, Education by Frances Goodwin, and Indiana by Retta Matthews. Matthews received $800 for her sculpture of Indiana from the Women's Committee.
The three statues were featured prominently in the assembly, or main reception room, of the Indiana State Building. Indiana was considered an "ideal figure of Indiana".
Location history
After their use in the Indiana State Building, the Board of Managers directed that the statues were given back to the people of Indiana. Janet Scudder was from Terre Haute, IndianaTerre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
; because of this connection Nymph was placed in the Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library, where it has since gone missing. Education was given to the Propylaeum in Indianapolis. Indiana was placed in the Indiana Statehouse. In 1926 it was located on the third floor of the Statehouse and has since been moved to the fourth floor where it is now situated in a south-facing alcove.
Title
The statue was originally titled Indiana when it was purchased for the Indiana State Building at the World's Columbian Exposition. However, at some point in time the significance and notoriety of the statue diminished, leaving the information desk at the Indiana Statehouse with only a photocopy of two pages from an unknown book published in July 1926 by the Historical Bureau of the Indiana Library and Historical Department, referring to the statue as "Indiana as an agricultural state". This lack of knowledge about the statue has led people to refer to her as CeresCeres (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, Ceres was a goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships. She was originally the central deity in Rome's so-called plebeian or Aventine Triad, then was paired with her daughter Proserpina in what Romans described as "the Greek rites of Ceres"...
, the Roman goddess of agriculture, because of her Roman-style garb
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
and the symbolism of agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and bounty, as projected by the presence of the ear of corn at the statue's feet and the flowers in her hand.
External links
- Images of Indiana (Matthews) in Flickr
- Indiana Statehouse Tour Office
- Members of IUPUI Collections Care and Management course pose with Indiana
- View more photos of this piece and other artwork found at the Indiana Statehouse
- Report of the Board of World's Fair Managers of Indiana, 1895, Part 1
- Report of the Board of World's Fair Managers of Indiana, 1895, Part 2
- Report of the Board of World's Fair Managers of Indiana, 1895, Part 3
- Report of the Board of World's Fair Managers of Indiana, 1895, Part 4
- Report of the Board of World's Fair Managers of Indiana, 1895, Part 5
