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The McKim Building was completed it 1895. It is a rare
public building of beautiful Italian Renaissance style. Its designer was Charles McKim, and was
built to resemble a classic Roman palace; including a courtyard.
St. Gauden's Lions
Just inside the front entrance is a grand
marble staircase. On either side there are statues of bold lions,
sculpted by artist Louis St. Gaudens. The lions are a memorial to the
2nd and 20th Massachusetts Regiments of the Civil War. Augustus St. Gaudens, sculptor of the Shaw Memorial on Beacon Hill, was the brother of
Louis.
Chavannes' Muses
The grand staircase ends at the Puvis de Chavannes
Gallery. The above mural has been called Muses Welcoming the Genius of
Enlightenment. There are several other paintings in the
gallery, with a theme of poetry, philosophy, history, and science. About Muses, Chavannes had said, "The muses of inspiration
hail the spirit, the harbinger of light."
Abbey's Quest for the Holy Grail
The delivery room is named after its artist Edwin
Austin Abbey. There are 15 murals adorning the walls, with the subject
being The Quest for the Holy Grail in Christendom. Also, please
note, the McKim Building includes murals by acclaimed American artist John Singer Sargent.
The Courtyard
At the center of the McKim building is a beautiful
courtyard, with statues and a fountain. The Boston Public Library is
in
itself almost a museum. It attests to the importance of higher
learning in the City of Boston.
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