West Virginia State Capitol Rotunda
New Artwork Commission

BUILDING FACTS

Location: Charleston, WV
Built: 1932
Original Architect: Cass Gilbert
Style: Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance
Status: National Historic Landmark

SCOPE

• Commissioned Artwork: Created Four 35’ Wide Lunette Paintings for Industry, Culture, Statehood, and Transportation
• Commissioned Artwork: Created Four Allegorical Pendentive Paintings Depicting Justice, Liberty, Education and Commerce
• Developed Themes for Artwork Scenes
  Created Renderings & Story Boards
• Created a Modello for all Eight Paintings
• Created Murals on Canvas in Studios
• Marouflaged Canvas to the Surfaces
• Traditional Oil Painting

At the West Virginia State Capitol, Canning worked on the Rotunda Artwork in a two-phase process spanning several years. Initially, the team was hired to begin the project, but funding ran out. Years later, Canning was reapproached to complete the plan and develop artwork that aligned with architect Cass Gilbert’s original vision. The process began with a detailed survey, tracing the surfaces and existing murals. After extensive research into Gilbert’s work, Canning created sketches and developed a color palette that honored his intent and complemented the surrounding marble and architectural materials.

The artwork included the creation of four pendentives and four lunettes. The approved compositions were transferred to canvas and executed in oil paints, followed by applying color glazes to enhance depth with rich shadows and luminous highlights. Additional materials, such as metal leaf, were incorporated to bring further richness and dimension to the artwork. Once complete, the murals were installed using the marouflage technique, adhering them directly to the walls for seamless integration with the Capitol’s architecture.