(Lawrie Bronze Doors), (sculpture)

Object Details

Notes
Save Outdoor Sculpture, Pennsylvania survey, 1994.
Harm, Greg, 2011.
Image on file.
unsigned
The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.
Summary
Fourteen doors decorated with bronze panels are placed around entrances for the Education/Forum Building. The three double doors on the Education side of the building (main entrance) contain 120 panels with symbols depicting the various vocations of man in industry and the arts, separated by a repeated design of the sun and the keystone. Left door, left grille: watch and clock making, forestry, education, finance, fire prevention, religion, glass making, pottery making, publishing, river navigation, ceramics and shoe making. Left door, right grille: astronomy, music, drama, aerial navigation, school athletics, banking, stone cutting, weaving, painting, metal stamping, steel making, and shipping.
Central door, left grille: accounting, banking, carpentry, textile manufacture, architecture, stone masonry, metal working, tailoring, food production, skyscraper construction, weights and measures, and agriculture. Central door, right grille: fishing industry, engineering, iron molding, steel manufacturing, rolling steel sheets, merchandising, farming, natural gas production, machinery making, harvesting crops, railroading, and blacksmithing.
Right door, left grille: indepedence, dairying, coal making, terra cotta manufacture, surgery, building, shipping, chemistry, printing, hydraulic power, pharmacy, and machinery. Right door, right grille: writing, agriculture, mining, brick and tile making, teaching, communication, coal mining, machine tooling, railroading, surveying, distilling, and a monument.
The eleven doors on the Forum side of the building depict man's creative and cultural occupations. Each door has twelve panels depicting fables, circus, mythological tales, poetry, music, drama, science and philosophy. Socrates and Franklin appear among the philosophers; Dante and Shakespeare represent the poets; Archimedes demonstrates his lever; and Linnaeus examines a plant for the benefit of science. Aladdin and his lamp appear among the legends; Aesop's story of the Fox and the Grapes represents the fables; Jack and the Beanstalk represents the fairy tale; Robin Hood and his long bow stand for childhood romance. Dozens of other figures appear on the panels on the doors.
Data Source
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
Date
1931
Control number
IAS PA000988
sculptor
Lawrie, Lee Oskar 1877-1963
architect
Gehron, William
Ross, Sydney
Subject
Franklin, Benjamin
Socrates
Alighieri, Dante
Linnaeus, Carolus
Type
Sculptures-Outdoor Sculpture
Sculptures-Door
Sculptures
Medium
Bronze and glass
Owner/Location
Administered by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of General Services 515 North Office Building Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17120
Located Education/Forum Building Harrisburg Pennsylvania
Topic
Portrait male--Full length
Portrait male
Figure male--Full length
Figure female--Full length
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Agriculture
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Architecture
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Astronomy
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Chemistry
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Drama
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Education
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Engineering
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Industry
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Literature
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Medicine
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Music
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Painting
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Philosophy
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Poetry
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Technology
Allegory--Arts & Sciences--Transportation
Allegory--Civic--Liberty
Allegory--Other--Trade
Allegory--Passion--Love
Allegory--Religion
Landscape--Celestial--Sun
Literature--Aesop--Fox and Hare
Literature--Character--Aladdin
Literature--Character--Jack
Literature--Character--Robin Hood
Literature--Perrault--Mother Goose Tales
Mythology--Classical--Archimedes
Occupation--Education--Philosopher
Occupation--Education--Teacher
Occupation--Industry--Printing
Occupation--Political--Diplomat
Occupation--Political--Statesman
Occupation--Science--Inventor
Occupation--Political--Postmaster
Occupation--Writer--Author
Occupation--Writer--Playwright
Occupation--Writer--Poet
Occupation--Craft--Clockmaker
Performing Arts--Circus
Record ID
siris_ari_335816
Usage
Usage conditions apply