The Boston Public Library

On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning in Boston, I hopped on the T and got off at the Copley stop on the green line. I was a few minutes early so I stood with the other 8 people waiting for the tour to begin. Our tour guide started the tour promptly at 11am. We began by walking through the Guastavino vaulted ceiling exhibit. Guastavino is the inventor of the vaulted ceiling, which can be found throughout the library in tons of different patterns and sizes. The exhibit had a model of how how the vaulted ceiling looks from the inside. There was a video playing on how they made the model, using plaster of Paris, tiles, and concrete. They placed a mirror under it, which is what you see from the ground below, looking up at a vaulted ceiling. Soon, we were standing in the stairway, looking up at the paintings that I have often looked at, but never knew about. On each side of the staircase there are three portraits. To the right, portraits symbolizing philosophy, astronomy, and history. And the left, portraits symbolizing different types of poetry. The staircase diverges into two staircases, leading to a hallway and the large Chavannes mural showing the nine Greek muses hailing the Genius of Enlightenment. The staircase is made of marble of Sienna, with a few landings made from an extremely rare marble that can only be found in Egypt. The lions are made of Sienna marble as well, but as you can tell from the picture, they are unpolished. Apparently the creator, Louis Saint-Gaudens had a bit of a drinking and procrastinating problem. He didn't leave the lions unpolished on purpose. There is a myth in the library that if you rub the lions' tail, you will be filled with knowledge. The traffic going up the left hand side is more than the right hand side, because the lion's butt is more polished (by human hands) on the left. Silly, I know. The lions are memorials for the second and twentieth Massachusetts infantry regiments from the Civil War. 

Vaulted Ceiling Exhibit 

We continued up the staircase and did a silent walk through of the huge study hall/reading room that's full of encyclopedias and research books. We then continued into the Abbey Room, named after the painted who did a series of murals entitled The Quest of the Holy Grail. I've included a picture of Sir Galahad being lead by a spirit to the Round Table after being knighted. The murals show the story from his birth to his knighthood, the adventure and temples he visited, the curses he lifted, the woman who he chose for his wife and then couldn't marry because he wouldn't be able to finish the quest, his journey by boat with the angel-his own heavenly GPS system, and finally the last mural is him holding the grail, surrounded by angels. It's a beautiful piece of artwork, and it's completely free to look at. 

Sir Galahad and the Knights of the Round Table 

We then went up to the third, and last floor to the Sargent Gallery, with his mural sequence entitled The Triumph of Religion (perhaps there's a one-month challenge in the title). The gallery is hugely powerful, colorful, and genius, linking spiritual and intellectual enlightenment. The mural is more of a study of religion than a devotion to religion. The artist didn't have any kids, but he did travel around with his niece. After she was killed in a bombing raid, he used her face at the face of Mary in the portrait where she is holding him after the crucifixion. The murals combine Christianity, Judaism, and even eastern religions. On one side, there is Moses with the Ten Commandments, above him is the Goddess of the Universe, and across the hall there is a portrayal of the cross. You have to see it to believe it, to take it all in. It's really quite amazing. 

Christianity 

Moses with the 10 Commandments 

After the tour I did have a book to pick up that was on hold, so I got to walk through the lovely courtyard. As the tour is free and a little over an hour long, I highly suggest this to anyone currently living in Boston, or visiting. As one who frequents the library, it was rewarding to finally learn about the art and architecture of the museum itself that I've seen so many times, but taken it for granted. Now I know.