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Winged Fortune, 1878. Creator: William Morris Hunt (American, 1824-1879)
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Winged Fortune, 1878. Creator: William Morris Hunt (American, 1824-1879)
Winged Fortune, 1878. This painting is a full-size study for one of the figures in The Discoverer, a mural that William Morris Hunt painted on the vaulted roof of the Assembly Chamber at New Yorks state capitol in Albany. The mural showed Christopher Columbus standing boldly in a boat facing west. Winged Fortune stood behind him, her left hand holding the rudder as her right hand spread the sail. Hope sat in the bow, Science held a navigational chart, and Faith, covering her eyes, swam blindly ahead. The confidence of Columbus reflected the optimism of post-Civil War Americans; the country shifted from a rural to an industrial society, providing many new opportunities in business, railroads, and westward expansion. Hunt only had two months to paint the murals, making many preparatory studies like this one. Using a simplified style, he contrasted dark outlines with masses of strong light in order to give the figure volume. Hunt believed an enlarged image needed little additional detail. Sadly, not long after Hunts death, massive leakage and cracking began to destroy the murals, which he had painted directly onto the wall. Eventually, a new ceiling was added to the chamber, concealing the murals completely
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Winged Fortune, 1878
EDITORS COMMENTS
is a captivating print of a full-size study for one of the figures in William Morris Hunt's mural, "The Discoverer". This painting was originally part of the vaulted roof mural at New York's state capitol in Albany. The mural depicted Christopher Columbus bravely standing in a boat facing west, symbolizing the optimism and confidence of post-Civil War Americans. In this particular image, Winged Fortune stands behind Columbus with her left hand firmly holding the rudder while her right hand gracefully spreads the sail. Accompanying them are Hope sitting in the bow, Science holding a navigational chart, and Faith swimming blindly ahead with her eyes covered. Together, they represent the spirit of exploration and progress that characterized America during its transition from an agrarian to an industrial society. Hunt meticulously prepared for his murals by creating numerous studies like this one within just two months' time. His simplified style utilized dark outlines juxtaposed against areas of strong light to give depth and volume to his figures. He believed that enlarging an image required minimal additional detail. Tragically, shortly after Hunt's death, extensive leakage and cracking began to deteriorate these remarkable murals painted directly onto the wall. Eventually concealed by a new ceiling added to the chamber, these once-inspiring artworks were lost forever. This print captures not only Hunt's artistic skill but also serves as a poignant reminder of how fragile our cultural heritage can be when faced with unforeseen challenges over time.
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