Art and Historic Objects in the Senate Wing of the Capitol and Senate Office Buildings

Book excerpt: This report was prepared by the Office of Senate Curator. Since the Senate Commission on Art was established in 1968, it has worked to fulfill its legislative authority to care and protect the art and historical objects located in the Senate wing of the Capitol and the Senate Office Buildings. Some of the oldest and most historically significant objects in the Senate include the marble bust of Chief Justice John Jay, executed in 1831 by John Frazee; and the 1832 portrait of George Washington by Rembrandt Peale. These, and the hundreds of other art and historical objects in the U.S. Senate, chronicle the nation's achievements over the last two centuries, and provide visitors with a greater appreciation of our historic past.