Patria

Though he is celebrated for his murals on the dome of the Library of Congress Main Reading Room in Washington DC, Edwin Howland Blashfield almost never became an artist. His parents wanted him to be an engineer or architect. He obediently pursued this line, attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But after two years, Blashfield received a $10,000 inheritance that allowed him independent freedom to paint.

Union League Club member and architect William Bryce Mundie commissioned Blashfield to paint this mural, Patria, for the new Club building that opened in 1926. Mundie’s goal was to communicate visually the Club motto that is engraved over fireplace: Welcome to Loyal Hearts. We join ourselves to no party which does not carry the flag and keep step with the music of the Union. Blashfield created his mural on canvas off-site, then mounted his work on the Club walls directly over the fireplace.

In the center stands Columbia, wearing white, holding the US Constitution. Below her are the figures of Justice and Fortitude, brandishing scales and a sword respectively. Two young women, wearing the contemporary fashion and hairstyles of the 1920’s, sit closest to the ground. Displaying a shield bearing "Patria" (country), they represent the sentiment of Loyalty, in step with the motto and mission of the Union League Club.