Curriculum Materials: Art in America
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Image 6 Thomas Sully Questions: |
Classical References
The classical columns in the background and some of the
MOTIFS on the furniture
allude to the grandeur and the ideals of the ancient Roman
republican government, with which the new U.S. government
hoped to associate itself. The eagles on top of the table
leg were victory symbols in ancient Rome. The wrapped
bundle of rods that forms the leg itself once signified the
authority of Roman leaders and the ideal of justice. The
laurel design on the arm and crest of the chair symbolically
refers to a Roman crown of victory.
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