Initial reports indicate that despite multiple incidents of vandalism, smashed windows and broken doors, major damage to the building itself or its artworks was avoided.
Barbara A. Wolanin did not leave her TV much on Wednesday afternoon, watching terrified, she said, as hundreds of Trump rioters rushed into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building where eight large, framed historical paintings hang.
She once was curator for the Architect of the Capitol, the office that preserves and maintains the building’s art and architecture. She knew much better than most the horrific possibilities that were presenting themselves.
What if rioters slashed John Trumbull’s “Declaration of Independence,” one of the large paintings from the early 1800s that depict the American fight for freedom? Or smashed the bronze bust of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?
Dr. Barbara Wolanin, who was curator for the Architect for the Capitol for 30 years, posing in the building in 2006.Bill Clark/Roll Call, via Getty Images
“All the art in the Capitol is basically on view,” said Dr. Wolanin, 77, who served as Curator for the Architect of the Capitol from 1985 until she retired in 2015. “There aren’t a lot of things hidden away.”
For nearly four hours, the collection she had spent more than 30 years caring for was at the mercy of a mob that broke into rooms on the south side of the Capitol (including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office), smashed windows and then marched through the National Statuary Hall, waving American, Confederate and “Trump Is My President” flags.
A bust of former President Zachary Taylor was defaced with a red substance that appeared to be blood.Jason Andrew for The New York Times
Their time in the building is now represented by the damage they left behind. A 19th-century marble bust of former President Zachary Taylor was flecked with what appeared to be blood. A picture frame was left lying on the floor, the image gone.
The photos and videos, some of them taken inside by the rioters themselves, were startling. One man crammed a framed photo of the Dalai Lama into his backpack, while another smoked marijuana in a room with maps of Oregon on the wall. A man in a leather jacket ripped up a scroll with Chinese characters.
“Yeah look at all this fancy furniture they have!” one man in a winter parka and red hat said.
Trump supporters swarmed into the U.S. Capitol Building on Wednesday after scaling walls and using poles to force their way in. Jason Andrew for The New York Times
Rioters smashed windows at the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday. Alex Wong/Getty Images
By the time the Capitol Police had secured the building around 6 p.m., windows and doors at the historic building had been broken, offices had been ransacked and some furniture had been damaged, overturned or looted.
Detailed damage assessments from the Architect of the Capitol or the U.S. Capitol Police have yet to be released. But the singular works of art that curators consider the treasures of the building did not appear to have suffered any major damage.
It could have been much worse, Dr. Wolanin said.
Her greatest concern was the large-scale, 18-foot paintings by Trumbull and other artists that depict scenes from the republic’s founding in the Rotunda, and the dozens of statues that fill the National Statuary Hall to the south.
Safely inaccessible was “The Apotheosis of Washington,” a fresco on the Rotunda ceiling that shows the nation’s first president flanked by Liberty, Victory, Science, War and other allegorical figures.
Particularly vulnerable was the National Statuary Hall to the south of the Rotunda, which contains 35 statues of prominent Americans, part of a collection of 100 statues at the Capitol — two from each of the 50 states — that memorialize such notable figures as Samuel Adams, Rosa Parks and Thomas Edison.
The John Trumbull painting “Surrender of Lord Cornwallis” escaped damage during Wednesday’s break-in at the U.S. Capitol building.Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The Capitol’s collection of paintings also includes work by artists such as Thomas Crawford and Constantino Brumidi, with a mix of portraits and landscapes. Original paintings of George Washington, such as one in the Old Senate Chamber, are some of the most treasured.
The building itself is a work of art, a paragon of Neoclassical architecture designed by Dr. William Thornton in the late 1700s and completed by the Boston architect Charles Bulfinch in 1826. But at the height of the riot, people were scaling its exterior using ropes, while others used poles as battering rams to break open an entrance. Inside, a pro-Trump loyalist posed on the Senate dais while another hung from the balcony in the chamber.
The history of the Capitol as a place is captured in the Hall of Capitols corridor of the House wing, in a series of murals by Allyn Cox. Eight milestone events from the building’s first 65 years and portraits of the nine men who were appointed Architect of the Capitol between 1793 and 1995 adorn the ceilings.
Dr. Wolanin said this was the first time the Capitol’s collection had been threatened on this scale. Though individual pieces had suffered “a tiny bit” of damage in the past, as when a gunman broke into the building in 1998 and killed two police officers and injured a female tourist before being captured, the last breach by a large, violent group of people was during the War of 1812 more than 200 years ago, when invading British troops burned down the building.
“They had no respect for any of these things,” Dr. Wolanin said of the mob that ransacked the building on Wednesday. “That’s what’s really scary.”
On Thursday, some historical preservationists discussed the damage, including the question of whether some of it should be left as a historical marker of the day.
Anthony Veerkamp, a former director of policy development for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said some of the physical damage should be preserved “as a reminder that our monuments, our institutions, and our values are all vulnerable, and must be constantly cared for.”
But he noted that it was important to do in a way that did not grant the rioters hero status.
“It’s important to not inadvertently create a shrine that appears to commemorate the insurrectionists,” he said.
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
