Look Up: Gari Melchers’ Murals at the Library of Congress

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, visitors to the Library of Congress can explore “The Declaration’s Promise: A Revolutionary Idea” and discover one of Gari Melchers’ most significant public art commissions. While touring the exhibition in the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, don’t forget to look up. Framing the gallery are Gari Melchers’ allegorical murals, “War” and “Peace,” which have been welcoming visitors to the Thomas Jefferson Building since 1896.

Commissioned as part of the artistic decoration of the new Library of Congress, the large-scale lunettes were completed following Melchers’ success with his “Arts of War” and “Arts of Peace” murals at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. More than a century later, they continue to illustrate Melchers’ talent for creating monumental public art.

To explore how these murals came to life, visit Gari Melchers Home and Studio and experience “History Paintings in Progress: Gari Melchers’ Mural Studies.” The exhibition features a collection of rarely exhibited preparatory studies, offering a unique look at Melchers’ creative process and the evolution of his public commissions, including studies for the Library of Congress murals.

large mural in a crowded room — “Peace” mural at the Library of Congress

grouping of people walking in a line — Study for “Peace” mural

Together, these experiences tell the story of Gari Melchers’ mural commissions—from the finished paintings that continue to inspire visitors in some of America’s most celebrated public buildings to the extensive collection at Gari Melchers Home and Studio, where visitors can discover the ideas, revisions, and artistic decisions that brought these ambitious works to life.