Crowned with a copper dome and the gilded Torch of Learning, the ornate Italian Renaissance structure of the Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building (Washington D.C.) stands on top of Capitol Hill as a dazzling expression of American art, architecture, and self-confidence. Termed the 'national temple of the arts' on its opening in 1897, the structure was designed both to house America's national library and to showcase the art and culture of the growing Republic. While the grand scale of architecture was inspired by the national libraries of England and France, the decoration was American-made and modeled on elements of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This exquisite and compact book in the Art Spaces series explores the world's largest library and its role as a space for the arts.
