Tympanum - Santa Barbara, CA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

This elegant and colorful wood carving is above a side doorway of the Santa Barbara Library. Central to the design is the coat of arms for the City of Santa Barbara.

From the Smithsonian AIC Description:

A tympanum in relief is installed over a set of double doors within an arched niche. The central element is the Coat of Arms for the City of Santa Barbara. On the left stands Aristotle, representing Science and History, wearing a green toga, red cloak and long gray beard. Plato, representing Philosophy and Literature, stands on the right wearing a blue and red toga with a green and white drape. Both figures holds books. Shields for four famous European libraries are installed along the top. Decorative elements include scrollwork and bunches of fruit.

A plaque on the wall next to the door reads:

TYMPANUM THE WOOD CARVING ABOVE WAS DESIGNED BY CARLETON M. WINSLOW AND EXECUTED BY MARSHALL LAIRD. AT THE CENTER IS THE COAT-OF-ARMS OF THE CITY. ON EITHER SIDE ARE FIGURES OF PLATO AND ARISTOTLE. SURROUNDING THE CENTER ARE THE SHIELDS OF FOUR FAMOUS LIBRARIES; FROM THE LEFT, THE UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA, THE BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE IN PARIS, THE UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA AND THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY

TITLE: Tympanum ARTIST(S): sculptor: Marshall Laird; architect: Carlton M. Winslow, (1876-1946) DATE: 1924 MEDIUM: Painted and gilded wood CONTROL NUMBER: IAS CA001842 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Santa Barbara Public Library 40 East Anapamu Santa Barbara, California DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: A visitor to this waymark noticed a possible inaccuracy in the Smithsonian Description. The description says Aristotle is on the left (bearded) and Plato is on the right. However, in the art piece there is Greek writing under each figure that looks like the figure on the right is Aristotle and the figure on the left is Plato. (But I don't read Greek well.) See Picture: http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/dbaa99a0-cfdd-4895-b92d-7e9b54b07db8.jpg

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