California State Capitol Museum

The California State Capitol Museum continues to gain popularity for featuring a display of art collections from mid-1850’s and beyond. The various art collections which are currently on display at the museum include portraits of the historical accounts in American history. One of the most notable portraits is those of the 35 governors from ancient American history. The portrait of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington were helmed by famous historical artists Jane Stuart and William Wynstanley.

The State Capitol Museum is where the famous mural art walls are displayed in the museum’s capitol room. Arthur Frank Matthew’s “The History of California” is one of the murals which are currently on display. Matthew’s masterpiece is said to be a set of mural artworks that were commissioned under the legislative law in 1913. The mural features 12 different paintings depicting the historical events in California. Lucile Lloyd’s “The Origin and Development of the State Of California” is also currently displayed in the capitol room. Lloyd’s artwork was repainted under the “Federal Art Project” by Claude Van Zant and Ben Messick in 1937.

The 18th century murals that were displayed at the Museum were commissioned by the Los Angeles State Building in 1936. The museum was once torn down five years after the 1971 earthquake in California. The murals were temporarily removed from public display during the early 1980’s for the museum’s renovation, which took place months after it was torn down. The Senate Rules Committee authorized a law that will ensure the safe restoration of the murals in 1991. Few of the 18th century murals were displayed at the Senate Room in 1992. Today, the museum displays murals from modern American artists. The capitol state museum is located between Sacramento’s L and 10th street.

California State Capitol Museum