THE FIRST MAJOR PAINTING OF THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL




Hard to believe, but it’s true; and this was confirmed by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society in 1987.


In October 1985 Ron and Katherine Harper commissioned artist James H. Cromartie, known for his “Hard Edge Realism”, to paint the United States Capitol. The artist developed his technique which involves using acrylic on masonite, depicting all objects of the composition in minute and fine detail.

Additional Facts About the Painting:
  1. Once started, the painting took 4 ˝ months to complete.
  2. It was finished on December 16, 1986.
  3. A total of 950 Limited Edition prints were numbered and signed by the artist in January 1987, valued today at $300 each.
  4. The painting was officially unveiled at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, April 22, 1987, by U.S. Senator Terry Sanford at a reception honoring the Harpers and the artist.
  5. It was displayed in Senator Sanford’s office at the U.S. Capitol until Friday, March 11, 1988.
  6. The painting was then presented at the North Carolina Bicentennial Committee in Raleigh, N.C., by North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Robert Jordon on Monday, March 14, 1988.
  7. The official North Carolina unveiling was done by Governor James Martin in the Rotunda of the N.C. Capitol on Thursday, May 5, 1988 - where it was exhibited for one year. It was then returned to Harper Corporation of America for display in the Executive Conference Room.
  8. At the request of Robert Strauss, U.S. Ambassador to Russia, in 1989 the painting was placed on loan to the U.S. State Department and shipped to Moscow, where it displayed in the U.S. Embassy for two years, through 1991.
  9. The original painting is home again at Harper Corporation of America, where it has been for the past 16 years.
  10. A Hartford Fire Insurance Company appraisal in 2007 valued the U.S. Capitol painting at $287,500.
  11. Escorted by the US Patriots Guard, the painting was unveiled at the 2nd Annual Art On Main Fine Arts Festival in Fort Mill, SC. on Saturday, September 22, 2007.
The Artist

JAMES H. CROMARTIE

Coincidence?

In the late 1700`s architect James Hoban couldn’t have dreamed that almost 200 years later a descendant of his would be the first major artist to paint the United States Capitol.

James Hoban, you see, was the U.S. Capitol Superintendent of Construction from 1793 to 1802. Hoban had earlier designed and supervised construction of the “President’s Palace”, now called the White House, and he was also the architect for the South Carolina State House in Columbia.

And yes, his great, great, great, great grandson, famous artist James H. Cromartie, completed the first major painting of the U.S. Capitol in December, 1986; having been commissioned to do so by Ron and Katherine Harper of Charlotte, N.C.

On September 16, 1941, in Fayetteville, N.C., J. Henry Cromartie married young Doris Elaine Mingle. They had three children. The oldest, James H. Cromartie, was born May 3, 1944, in Austin, Texas, and went on to become a highly respected American artist.

Destiny? Fate? Who knows? But artist Cromartie, at age 42, in his special style of Hard Edge Realism satisfied a life long dream, to paint the United States Capitol.

Although the artist was aware of Mr. Hoban`s involvement with both the White House and the South Carolina State House, interestingly, it was not until after the painting was completed that he discovered the architect’s close ties to the U.S. Capitol.

The architect, James Hoban, died almost two centuries ago, in 1831.

As of July 2007, the 63 year old artist, Jim Cromartie, is still active and lives in Nantucket, Maine.

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