07.27
Have you ever seen the painting on the inside of the dome of the Capitol Building? It’s called the Apotheosis of Washington. It was painted by an Italian ex-patriot Constantino Brumidi. He completed it in 1865, after the close of the War to Prevent Southern Independence. If you aren’t familiar with the word “apotheosis,” here is it’s definition:
The fact or action of becoming a god; deification; Glorification, exaltation; crediting someone with extraordinary power or status; A glorified example or ideal; the apex or pinnacle (of a concept or belief); Loosely, release from earthly life, ascension to heaven;
And as the title declares, the painting depicts George Washington, assumed into heaven as a deity. The angel on the left is, of course, holding the symbol of the fasces. Because, if there’s one thing the state will worship, it’s itself:
This is just a closeup of the center. Click on the image for a full, hi-res version of the complete painting.
What a coincidence that a giant painting depicting the deification of the state just happened to be completed right at the moment in history when the Federal government was crushing the final vestiges of state independence at Appomattox. The only thing I’m surprised about is that it isn’t called the Apotheosis of Lincoln. I guess even he couldn’t be that brazen.
