The Effect on Art During the Storm of the Capitol
Written by Clara Arbolino
Written by Clara Arbolino
On January 6th, 2021, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol to protest the election results. They managed to get into the rotunda and even some offices. Overall, it was a crazy day for the whole country. Not only did they make history, but they destroyed some as well.
By now, we have all heard about the insurrection that occurred in Washington, D.C. One thing that many people aren’t discussing, however, is the historic damage to the building and the art in it. When the rioters broke into the rotunda of the capitol, they had access to 8 large incredibly important paintings. If those were to be damaged whatsoever, there would be major consequences for those involved. Luckily and surprisingly, these specific 8 were left to be. Some of the other art wasn’t as lucky...
One piece, a 19th century bust of President Zachary Taylor, was defaced with some sort of
paint/liquid. Another creation, a framed photo of the Dalai Lama, was stolen. A third work, a scroll with Chinese characters, was completely destroyed. These weren’t the only things that were defiled by the rioters. The windows were cracked, and various benches and public areas were also disheveled.
More information is coming out, and so much else could have happened. Luckily not too much art was damaged/stolen (based on what we know so far), but it was still an incredibly worrisome day for curators everywhere. They could have damaged very important pieces of history, and we should be glad only minor works were affected. Although art was not the only thing damaged in this attack on our democracy, it is still not nearly as bad as it could have been.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/arts/design/us-capitol-art-damage.html?referringSource=articleShare
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/arts/design/us-capitol-damage.html
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a35166019/us-capitol-damage-art-curators-trump-siege/
Image Credit: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a35166019/us-capitol-damage-art-curators-trump-siege/
By now, we have all heard about the insurrection that occurred in Washington, D.C. One thing that many people aren’t discussing, however, is the historic damage to the building and the art in it. When the rioters broke into the rotunda of the capitol, they had access to 8 large incredibly important paintings. If those were to be damaged whatsoever, there would be major consequences for those involved. Luckily and surprisingly, these specific 8 were left to be. Some of the other art wasn’t as lucky...
One piece, a 19th century bust of President Zachary Taylor, was defaced with some sort of
paint/liquid. Another creation, a framed photo of the Dalai Lama, was stolen. A third work, a scroll with Chinese characters, was completely destroyed. These weren’t the only things that were defiled by the rioters. The windows were cracked, and various benches and public areas were also disheveled.
More information is coming out, and so much else could have happened. Luckily not too much art was damaged/stolen (based on what we know so far), but it was still an incredibly worrisome day for curators everywhere. They could have damaged very important pieces of history, and we should be glad only minor works were affected. Although art was not the only thing damaged in this attack on our democracy, it is still not nearly as bad as it could have been.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/arts/design/us-capitol-art-damage.html?referringSource=articleShare
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/arts/design/us-capitol-damage.html
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a35166019/us-capitol-damage-art-curators-trump-siege/
Image Credit: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a35166019/us-capitol-damage-art-curators-trump-siege/