The Old Courthouse

30” x 15”

Oil on Canvas

April- August 2024

Evansville, Indiana

Daisy Undercuffler

First Evansville painting.

As the elaborate ornate beaux arts facade of this structure makes it rather difficult to take in, in its entirety.

A faithful rendering of composition with my own particular liberties

It is often commented that a landscape without a figure resists narrative.

The age of the machine, as seen celebrated in the sculptural work on the old Vanderburgh County Courthouse, evisterated this concept.

With the invention of the Goddess of Manufacturing and Industry. Whom, kindly the artist might guess the intention was to embody Hephaestus. Hephaestus is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes. Though, a god, not goddess. Otherwise, a pure invention on behalf of sculptor. There is no known goddess of manufacturing and industry.

*from Wikipedia-

“The Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse, often simply called the “Old Courthouse,” was once the center of Vanderburgh County, Indiana government. Construction started in the spring of 1888 and was completed in November 1889. The 19th century German Beaux-Arts architecture masterpiece cost $379,450 to build.

The Old Courthouse occupies an entire city block, with each side being encrusted with sculptures and stone carvings in Indiana limestone. The fourteen main statues of human figures are the work of Franz Engelsmann, who studied under the great German masters before setting up his studio in Chicago.

Protecting the Court Street entryway to the Old Courthouse is a great eagle with its wings widespread perched upon a shield, denoting not only the national emblem but a standard of the ancient Romans.

Directly below the eagle are large Roman numerals carved into the limestone, showing the date when construction began.

Facing the Old Courthouse, to the left sits the Goddess of Manufacturing and Industry who holds a hammer in her right hand, which rests upon an anvil, and the cogwheel of industry in her left. To her left side sits a locomotive depicting the mode of transportation prevalent at the time.”This artist has taken the liberty of carving her signature into the very Indiana Limestone of the courthouse.

A boldness the women of the time and place of The Old Courthouse may not have felt entitled too. Progress.

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