Study for the eagle column decoration in ‘Apotheosis of Pennsylvania’ mural at the state capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 

Edwin Austin Abbey created this Study for the eagle column decoration for the ‘Apotheosis of Pennsylvania’ mural with chalk and pastel on paper. The drawing is a preparatory sketch, a stage in the larger production of the mural at the state capitol building. Consider the materiality of the drawing. The chalk and pastel create a texture that gives the eagle a soft, almost approachable quality, yet the eagle also presents a symbol of power and authority. The artist renders light and shadow to suggest three-dimensionality, giving the eagle a tangible presence. In its original context, this eagle would have been translated into architecture, potentially stone or metalwork, requiring the labor of skilled artisans. These grand civic projects were often intended to convey a sense of progress, but also relied on extensive networks of human labor and industrial production. Paying attention to the materials, processes, and the wider context encourages us to look beyond the conventional distinction between fine art and craft.