In a series of lunettes (paintings in the shape of a half-circle) for the East Room ceiling, the artist H. Siddons Mowbray alternated depictions of nameless women with portraits of specific historical men, each representing a field of knowledge or creativity. Here, the female figure personifying music appears next to a portrait of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.
Mowbray was one of the most generously paid contributors to Morgan’s Library. For his work on the East Room and Rotunda ceilings, Mowbray earned $46,406. The architectural firm McKim, Mead & White earned a total commission of $59,700 (5 percent of building costs, plus 10 percent of special costs); Charles T. Wills, the project’s general contractor, was paid $30,000.
Tebbs & Knell, New York
Ceiling murals in the East Room of J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library, 1923–ca. 1935
Gelatin silver print
The Morgan Library & Museum Archives; ARC 1777