The Sistine Capitol: The Rotunda and Civil Religion

 

Presiding over D.C., the Capitol’s rotunda is illuminated with artist Constantino Brumidi’s fresco titled, Apotheosis of Washington. It reminds passersby of the role of civil religion in the United States, with a title meaning the rising of Washington to God-like status. In likeness to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, this Michelangelo-esque painting brightens the top of the rotunda. Representing the glorification of George Washington and spanning thousands of square feet, Washington’s image is akin to that of a divine being. Resting upon clouds, Washington is donned in partially colonial and partially Biblical-style attire surrounded by figures who appear to be Roman gods, each accompanied by an entourage. These individuals could represent the conjunction between America’s founding fathers and their divine status, or the idea that America is divinely watched-over. Keeping a watchful eye over generations of Americans, Washington sits regally with an open book on one side and a sword on the other, above him, a banner reading the motto, “E Pluribus Unum”, or “out of many, one” lines the sky. 

The application of civil religion to the Apotheosis of Washington is not a new comparison, though it remains to be highly relevant. Sociologist Robert Bellah explained the term ‘civil religion’ to include the religious nature of America’s political culture and its acknowledgment of powers greater than humanity, yet rejection of direct association with a formal religion. Bellah noted how the actions and beliefs of the founding fathers greatly influenced civil religion in the United States repeating Washington’s quote, “‘I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are [in], who led our fathers…America, the promised land,’” (Bellah 1967: 8). Within this phrase, Washington credited a greater “Being” with the creation of America as well as recognized that there was a power outside of himself guiding them. However, somewhere along the way, Washington himself became recognized as this divine person. 

  Compared to Michelangelo’s religiously influenced paintings on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Brumidi’s Apotheosis of Washington highlights the religiously influenced American government. With the understanding that the Apotheosis of Washington is commonly understood as an example of Bellah’s description of civil religion, the analogy prevails. Within the painting, elements of civil religion are clearly laid out, notably the portrayal of George Washington as the foremost divine being. Washington’s contributions to the foundation of the United States are monumental, but what does this divine status fully entail for the role of civil religion in America? While civil and organized religions have different purposes, the fresco nevertheless tempts a collision between church and state in America.

                                                        

                                                            Works Cited

Bellah, Robert N. 1967. “Civil Religion in America.” Daedalus Vol. 96 (No. 1): pp 1-19. 

Constantino, Brumidi. 1865. “The Apotheosis of Washington.” From Architect of the Capitol.

 Retrieved March 27, 2024 (https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/apotheosis-washington).