The Rotunda



Rotunda Marble Mosaic Floor



Rotunda Mosaic Tile Dome on Pendentive


The floor plan of the Capitol is a cross within a square and the Rotunda, 112 feet tall, is located at the intersection of the arms of the cross in the center of the building. The theme of the Rotunda is "Virtues of the State". The eight winged figures in the dome form a celestial rose representing civic and sacred virtues: Temperance, Courage, Justice, Wisdom, Magnanimity, Faith, Hope and Charity. The inscriptions at the springing line of the room's vaults are taken from Aristotle's Politics and from Plato's Dialogs. The large marble floor mosaic in the center of the Rotunda floor is "Earth as the Life-giver" and surrounding her are symbols of Water, Fire, Air and Soil. Prehistoric life of Nebraska is shown in the border surrounding the elements.

The three large murals were painted by Kenneth Evett and added to the Capitol in 1956. They represent Industrial Enterprises, Intellectual Works, and Humanitarian Works, and are titled "The Labors of the Hand", "The Labors of the Head" and "The Labors of the Heart".


"The Labors of the Hand"


"The Labors of the Head"


"The Labors of the Heart"



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