Weidemann Art Tour

Proceed from the "Art Adorns the Paths of Life" exhibit on the ground floor to the east elevator across the hallway. Take the elevator to floor one.

Outside the elevator on floor one, take a glance up to observe one of the Capitol's highly ornate textured plaster ceilings.

This particular pattern, featuring four panels of rays around a central sun, compares closely with a sketch found in one of Christian Weidemann's design sketchbooks.

Now take a look at the walls around you!

Textured plaster was featured heavily throughout the Capitol's first floor corridors to draw visitors eyes toward to the ornamental artwork. Thick layers of wet plaster were applied and shaped using stiff brushes and tools. Once the plaster had cured, or hardened, the decorative designs were painted.

Attempts were made throughout the construction and decorating of the Capitol to keep costs down, including the heavy use of "faux finishes", or false finishes, in the building's interior spaces. Expensive resources such as red marble were simply imitated through many layers of paint using more affordable white pine wood (wainscots) and cast iron (columns).

As decorative painters in the Victorian Era, faux finishes would have been a technique Christian Weidemann and the William Wright Company crew employed commonly throughout their designs.

Arriving on floor two, proceed through the Executive Lobby toward the rotunda archway.

Another faux finishing technique was used on some of the Capitol’s corridor archways. Called “vermiculated work,” it is intended to resembled stone incised with wandering grooves that look like worm tracks. Vermis is Latin for worm.

This motif can be found on the side walls of the archway to the rotunda.

Made up of spiraling scrolls and leafwork, this tall, thin design works to enlarge an already grand archway.

Woodgrained doors and wainscots can be found on every level of the building.

The Capitol features a massive nine acres of hand painted artwork. Done as a cost cutting measure, a large portion of this includes the six layer process to transform simple white pine wood into rich walnut wood. Done commonly in the Victorian Era, painted woodgraining has since become a rare artform.

Exit the elevator on floor three and step out into the lobby.

Adorning many of the Capitol's walls and ceilings are swirling, spiraling leaf and vine patterns. These patterns feature acanthus leaves.

The acanthus leaf motif was one of the most prevalent elements in Victorian ornament. Made popular during the ancient Greek and Roman periods, the use of acanthus leaves in the Capitol aligns with the building’s neoclassical design, which looks back at the ancients for artistic inspiration.

The acanthus plant is grown widely throughout Mediterranean regions, and its leaves have long been associated with concepts such as healing, immortality, and rebirth, likely due to the medicinal qualities of the plant.

Feel free step into the Old Supreme Court Room on the third floor, used by the Michigan Supreme Court from 1879-1970.

Christian invested a lot of time and thought into the design of the Supreme Court Chamber, arguably the most elaborate room in the building. His sketchbooks contain several versions of the room’s many motifs.

Horsehair plaster walls with spiraling vines and poinsettia flowers.

Take a look at the decorative frieze at the top of the wall!

Notice how the painted and gilded medallions enhance where the chandelier meets the ceiling.

Look carefully, and you might see a face in the acanthus leaves and trim in this five-sided motif!

Seashells are also a common motif in decorative art. You’ll notice several in this tan and gold border.