The Westward Journey
Encyclopedia
The Westward Journey, also listed as Indians, Reaper, Blacksmith, Pioneer Family, is a set of outdoor sculptures made by Herman Carl Mueller
in 1886–1887, located above the south portico
of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis
, the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana
.
eagle with outspread wings.
Starting from the west, the first figural grouping is of an Native American, "Indiana"
family. A chief
stands in the center of this grouping with his face facing east with a metal staff or rifle in his hands. To his right is a woman with a papoose
on her back; she faces west. On the chief's left is another [young] Indian male figure or Brave wearing a loin cloth.
To the left of the Indian grouping is a single male figure of a reaper
(or farmer) holding a metal sickle
and looking due south. He has a full beard and wears a shirt with full length pants. His left arm is on his hip with his hat in his left hand.
To the left of the reaper is a figure of a blacksmith
who also looks south. The blacksmith has a beard and wears a shirt with rolled up sleeves and a blacksmith apron with full length pants. He stands with his right arm placed on his hip, bent at the elbow with a metal blacksmith tool in his right hand. An anvil
is located behind him.
On the eastern end of the portico is a figural grouping of a pioneer
family. Standing in the center of the grouping is the father who wears a buckskin shirt and full-length pants who is holding a bronze rifle. To his left is the mother, who wears a long pioneer dress and sunbonnet. Her right hand is raised to her brow to shield her eyes from the sun. A young boy stands to the right of father, wearing breeches
or 3/4 length pants and a hat. All three pioneer figures are facing west.
Above these figures at the center of the pediment, above the cornice is a stone American Bald Eagle with its wings spread and gilded in gold. Given that this is a national symbol of the United States, and that a shield with stars and stripes is at the eagle's chest, this indicates Indiana's place within the union.
From the east comes a new era with a farmer or reaper holding a metal sickle and a blacksmith with his apron and tools in hand depicting his trade. These two figures symbolize the skills needed to obtain and utilize the fruits of the new land.
The Pioneer Family (man, woman, and young boy) also represents a new era and the westward expansion from the east. The man wears a buckskin shirt indicating his resourcefulness and adaptation to ways of the west and great plains region. In combination of the two figure groupings (Blacksmith and Pioneer Family) likely symbolize the growing expansion of the railroads from the east to the west .
The National Park Service
web page about the Statehouse says that "The sculptural program atop the portico is The Westward Journey. On the left side of the cornice ledge, Native Americans are forced west, while Euro-American pioneers enter from the east."
, which is Washington Street in present day Indianapolis. The National Road is marked by a stone marker in the front or most central southern portion of the lawn of the south entrance. It is directly in front of the George Washington Statue
and the markers indicating previous tree dedications.
.
is the sculptor of these four groupings of limestone sculptures. A native of Germany
, he was most active in Trenton, New Jersey
. At the time of the construction of the Indiana State house he was active in Zanesville, Ohio
.
Mueller made artistic contributions to other civic buildings in the state of Indiana, including the encaustic floor tiles of the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana
.. He is known for his techniques and contributions to the clay tile industry (Mueller Mosaic Co., Trenton New Jersey), and was also a sculptor of commemorative civic statues.
Herman Carl Mueller
Herman Carl Mueller , noted ceramicist, was the founder of the Mueller Mosaic Company of Trenton....
in 1886–1887, located above the south portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
of the Indiana Statehouse in 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...
, the capital of the U.S. state of 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...
.
Description
Located above the south entrance portico of the Indiana Statehouse are four groups of themed, symbolic figures carved in sculpted limestone. Above the figures on the portico and the cornice of the building, is a gildedGilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
eagle with outspread wings.
Starting from the west, the first figural grouping is of an Native American, "Indiana"
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
family. A chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
stands in the center of this grouping with his face facing east with a metal staff or rifle in his hands. To his right is a woman with a papoose
Papoose
A papoose is an American English loanword whose present meaning is "a Native American Indian child" or, even more generally, any child, usually used as a term of endearment, often in the context of the child's mother. The word came originally from the Narragansett tribe...
on her back; she faces west. On the chief's left is another [young] Indian male figure or Brave wearing a loin cloth.
To the left of the Indian grouping is a single male figure of a reaper
Reaper
A reaper is a person or machine that reaps crops at harvest, when they are ripe.-Hand reaping:Hand reaping is done by various means, including plucking the ears of grains directly by hand, cutting the grain stalks with a sickle, cutting them with a scythe, or with a later type of scythe called a...
(or farmer) holding a metal sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
and looking due south. He has a full beard and wears a shirt with full length pants. His left arm is on his hip with his hat in his left hand.
To the left of the reaper is a figure of a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who also looks south. The blacksmith has a beard and wears a shirt with rolled up sleeves and a blacksmith apron with full length pants. He stands with his right arm placed on his hip, bent at the elbow with a metal blacksmith tool in his right hand. An anvil
Anvil
An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool...
is located behind him.
On the eastern end of the portico is a figural grouping of a pioneer
American pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
family. Standing in the center of the grouping is the father who wears a buckskin shirt and full-length pants who is holding a bronze rifle. To his left is the mother, who wears a long pioneer dress and sunbonnet. Her right hand is raised to her brow to shield her eyes from the sun. A young boy stands to the right of father, wearing breeches
Breeches
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles...
or 3/4 length pants and a hat. All three pioneer figures are facing west.
Above these figures at the center of the pediment, above the cornice is a stone American Bald Eagle with its wings spread and gilded in gold. Given that this is a national symbol of the United States, and that a shield with stars and stripes is at the eagle's chest, this indicates Indiana's place within the union.
Symbolism of the Indians, reaper, blacksmith, and pioneer family
The Indians symbolize where the state "Indiana" derives the state name, the positioning of the figures suggest that the land once belonged to them.From the east comes a new era with a farmer or reaper holding a metal sickle and a blacksmith with his apron and tools in hand depicting his trade. These two figures symbolize the skills needed to obtain and utilize the fruits of the new land.
The Pioneer Family (man, woman, and young boy) also represents a new era and the westward expansion from the east. The man wears a buckskin shirt indicating his resourcefulness and adaptation to ways of the west and great plains region. In combination of the two figure groupings (Blacksmith and Pioneer Family) likely symbolize the growing expansion of the railroads from the east to the west .
The National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
web page about the Statehouse says that "The sculptural program atop the portico is The Westward Journey. On the left side of the cornice ledge, Native Americans are forced west, while Euro-American pioneers enter from the east."
Location history
The location of the four figures over the south entrance was originally designed and intended as the main entrance to the State House. The south entrance was intended to be the main entrance because that it faced The National RoadNational Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
, which is Washington Street in present day Indianapolis. The National Road is marked by a stone marker in the front or most central southern portion of the lawn of the south entrance. It is directly in front of the George Washington Statue
George Washington (statue by DeLue)
George Washington is a public artwork by American sculptor Donald De Lue, located on the grounds of the Indiana Statehouse, in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States...
and the markers indicating previous tree dedications.
Acquisition
The acquisition of the four figures was part of the overall commission of the construction of the new State Capitol building. The figures could have been added sometime after 1886 when the roofing was completed on the exterior of the building. The capitol building was opened to the public January 6, 1887 for the start of the first session of the Indiana General AssemblyIndiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
.
Artist
Herman Carl MuellerHerman Carl Mueller
Herman Carl Mueller , noted ceramicist, was the founder of the Mueller Mosaic Company of Trenton....
is the sculptor of these four groupings of limestone sculptures. A native of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he was most active in Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
. At the time of the construction of the Indiana State house he was active in Zanesville, Ohio
Zanesville, Ohio
Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,586 at the 2000 census.Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road through present-day Ohio...
.
Mueller made artistic contributions to other civic buildings in the state of Indiana, including the encaustic floor tiles of the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
.. He is known for his techniques and contributions to the clay tile industry (Mueller Mosaic Co., Trenton New Jersey), and was also a sculptor of commemorative civic statues.