The Red Rose Girls: Preparing for the Harrisburg Murals

 

"The Vision of St. Augustine" by Vittore Carpaccio

"In 1902, the state of Pennsylvania was engaged in building a new State Capitol building, to replace the previous edifice, destroyed in a disastrous fire. The architect saw it not only as a place to conduct the business of the commonwealth but also as a museum to applaud the history and contributions of the citizenry. When Violet Oakley's work was brought to his attention, he decided to take a chance on the talents of the young artist and commissioned her to paint eighteen murals for the Governor's Reception Room. Although the majority of the murals were assigned to the well-known illustrator and muralist Edwin Austin Abbey, the eighteen paintings for the Reception Room constituted a sizable task. It was the first time an American woman artist had received such a prestigious assignment. Violet was offered $20,000 for the project, which would take her four years to complete. She accepted $5,000 immediately as an advance against expenses. 

Never judicious with her money or adept at making long-range financial palns, the sum seemed inexhaustible to her. In preparation for the job, she sailed for England in March 1903, inviting her mother to accompany her. When she arrived in England, Violet set to work exhaustively researching the life of William Penn. She also spent time in London's museums and galleries and gained artistic inspiration from Pre-Raphaelite painters Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones.  During the summer of 1903, she traveled to Rome, Florence, Venice, Assisi, Perugia, and Siena, studying mural painting techniques and analyzing the works of the Italian masters. In Venice she discover the mural paintings of Carpaccio in the Church of San Giorgio degli Schivoni and found inspiration for her own project.

The trip was Violet's first time away from her friends in five years. As the weeks went on, she missed her companions and begged for some word but received nothing from them. The truth was that her fellow 'Red Roses' had not forgotten her, they were just occupied with their own work and the management of their extensive property. In September she concluded her studies and boarded the the Royal Mail Steamship 'Umbria' for the return voyage. She wrote her friends: 'I want every single one of you to be there - so please let me know... I wish I could be surprised by a line of Red Roses on the dock.'"

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Red Rose Girls: Art and Love on Philadelphia's Main Line" by Alice A. Carter.)