Detail of Martin Luther King Jr. bust (1986) by John Wilson in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. | Architect of the Capitol
FORTY YEARS AGO, A BRONZE BUST of Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was installed in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Created by Boston artist John Wilson (1922-2015), the King statue was commissioned by Congress and unveiled on Jan. 16, 1986.
It was a historic day. King became the first Black person represented among the treasured paintings and statuary in the Rotunda. In fact, Wilson’s bust of King is the first sculpture of a Black person and first artwork by an African American artist to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
An iconic leader, King’s valiant fight for civil rights and the dignity and humanity of African Americans is commemorated throughout the United States. City streets and public schools and libraries are named for King and numerous local monuments have been erected in his honor. The installation of the King bust in the Capitol Rotunda, however, was particularly notable given the history, function, and national symbolism of the building.
The Capitol is a neoclassical structure housing the United States Congress—the seat of American democracy and the legislative branch of the federal government, including the Senate and House of Representatives. Black enslaved labor was critical to the construction of the Capitol, where federal laws are made, major civil rights legislation was passed, and Congress voted to establish the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, which was signed into law by President Ronald W. Reagan (1983).
A key highlight on the public tour of the Capitol, the Rotunda is a grand, circular room at the center of the building. Completed in 1824, the august, domed space is framed by curved sandstone walls and fluted Doric pilasters. The floor features rings of waxed Seneca Sandstone arranged around a circular white marble slab at the center.
The Rotunda is an ornate exhibition space with large-scale American history paintings, statues of early Presidents, and relief sculptures of explorers on display. A portrait monument to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony recognizes the women’s suffrage movement.
Wilson’s King bust is installed between two 19th century paintings: “Baptism of Pocahontas” (1840) by John Gadsby Chapman and “Embarkation of the Pilgrims” (1843) by Robert W. Weir. The bust depicts the head, shoulders, and chest of the civil rights leader wearing a suit jacket and tie. The bronze work stands 36-inches high atop a 66-inch Belgian black marble base. In Wilson’s rendering, King is gazing downward, suggesting a moment of peace and calm or deep thought and the shouldering of untold pressure and challenges in his quest for a better nation.
John Wilson’s bust of Martin Luther King Jr., is the first sculpture of a Black person and first artwork by an African American artist to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
John Wilson with the clay for his monumental King sculpture, “Eternal Presence” (circa 1986). | Photo: David Schaefer, John Wilson Archive. Photo Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
“I didn’t know him personally, but I identified with him and the struggle that he was in, and with just about all his approaches to solving the problems in human relationships with the power of nonviolence,” Wilson told the New York Times after he won the commission.
Wilson said the bust would be informed by “as many photographs of him that I can find,” and portray King’s unassuming strength and “the eloquence that got masses of people to follow him.”
One of Boston’s great artists, Wilson worked in a variety of mediums exploring racism, injustice, family life, and fatherhood over his six-decade career. Some of his best-known works are depictions of King across sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. A major museum retrospective recently offered a comprehensive look at his practice. “Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson,” the largest-ever exhibition of the artist and educator, was on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York through Feb. 8.
“I didn’t know (King) personally, but I identified with him and the struggle that he was in, and with just about all his approaches to solving the problems in human relationships with the power of nonviolence.”
— John Wilson
WILSON’S KING PROJECT came about through legislative action. On Dec. 21, 1982, Congress passed House Concurrent Resolution 153.” Rep. Jonathan Bingham (D-N.Y.) was the key sponsor of the measure authorizing a bust of King to be placed in the Capitol to memorialize his contributions to landmark civil rights and voting rights legislation. It was a protracted process. Bingham first introduced the legislation about a decade earlier, during the 92nd Congress.
A transformative figure in American history, King was a Baptist minister who took up the mantle of freedom and justice, a nonviolent agenda that included opposition to the Vietnam War. He fought for equal rights and human rights and challenged the nation to live up to its democratic ideals.
JACK LEWIS HILLER, Martin Luther King Jr., 1960 (gelatin silver print). | © 1960 Jack L. Hiller, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
He marched for change and strategized with fellow civil rights leaders, an influential coalition who met with Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. King discussed voting rights, segregation, police brutality, economic justice, and global affairs at the White House in individual and group meetings. His activities also brought him to the Capitol.
In 1957, for example, King met with Vice President Richard Nixon in his office at the Capitol, where they discussed the state of race relations in the South. In 1964, King spoke at a press conference at the Capitol (with Malcolm X among those in attendance) about the Senate debate on the Civil Rights Act, a few months before the landmark legislation was passed and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
King lead the Montgomery Improvement Association, which was formed in 1955 to organize and sustain the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala. The 13-month protest was sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks after she refused to give up her seat on a public bus to accommodate a white passenger. In 1957, King became founding president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
He organized activists in the South, was arrested for nonviolent actions in the fight for the rights of Black people, preached from the pulpit, delivered his soaring “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, met with Presidents and Congressional leaders, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for “for his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American population.”
King was only 39 years old when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968, the day after he spoke to local sanitations workers fighting for union recognition, safe working conditions, and fair pay.
Martin Luther King Jr., discussed voting rights, segregation, police brutality, economic justice, and global affairs at the White House. His activities also brought him to the U.S. Capitol, where he met with Congressional leaders.
Martin Luther King Jr. bust (1986) by John Wilson on display in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The bronze work stands 36-inches high atop a 66-inch Belgian black marble base. | Courtesy Architect of the Capitol
WHEN PLANS FOR THE MEMORIAL KING BUST got underway, Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) had a phone conversation with George White, then-Architect of the Capitol (1971-1995). During the call, she said it was important for the work to represent her late husband as “a pastor and clergyman—serious minded, concerned, compassionate, and with humility,” according to White’s hand-written notes dated Dec. 7, 1984. She added that his “Drum Major Instinct” sermon reflected how he wanted to be remembered.
Speaking from the pulpit of his family’s home church, Ebenezer Baptist in Atlanta, Ga., King delivered his renowned “Drum Major Instinct” sermon on Feb. 4, 1968, two months before he was assassinated.
Michele Cohen, curator for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), referenced White’s notes, held by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, in an essay published in the “John Wilson: Witnessing Humanity”>exhibition catalog for “Witnessing Humanity.”
King wanted to be remembered for his service to others, not his Nobel Peace Prize or countless other accolades, according to Cohen. She opened her essay with a quote from King’s moving sermon: “Yes, if you want to say I was a drum major, say I was a drum major for justice, I was a drum major for peace, I was a drum major for righteousness.”
Cohen added: “Artist John Wilson embodied this vision with his bronze likeness of King.”
Coretta Scott King told the Architect of the Capitol that it was it was important for the King bust to represent her late husband as “a pastor and clergyman—serious minded, concerned, compassionate, and with humility.”
NEA panel reviewing artist submissions, shown in background, from left, by Elizabeth Catlett, Zenos Frudakis, and John Wilson. Panel members, clockwise from left, Mary Schmidt Campbell, John Hallmark Neff, Debra Spencer Ryder, E.J. Montgomery, Edmund Barry Gaither, and Thomas Whittlesey Leavitt. (Date on file: April 15, 1985). | © Architect of the Capitol / Steve Payne, Courtesy Architect of the Capitol
THE KING COMMISSION WAS AWARDED through a competitive process conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) on behalf of Congress. Mrs. King was an adviser to the selection panel comprised of arts professionals and museum leaders.
Members included Debra Spencer Ryder; Thomas Whittlesey Leavitt (1930-2010), John Hallmark Neff, artist and curator E.J. Montgomery (1930-2025), and Mary Schmidt Campbell, then-Executive Director of the Studio Museum in Harlem, with Edmund Barry Gaither, founding director emeritus of the National Center for Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) in Roxbury, Mass., serving as chair of the panel.
The NEA competition attracted entries from 183 artists. In 1984, the panel chose three finalists: Wilson; Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012); and Zenos Frudakis of Philadelphia, Pa. Each artist was provided $500 and given two months to make a half-size maquette of their proposed work. The panel ultimately awarded the $50,000 commission to Wilson in 1985.
Wilson was a master draftsman who was also known for his monumental public artworks. Born in Roxbury, he graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (where artist Allan Rohan Crite became his mentor), earned an undergraduate degree in education from Tufts University (1947), and also studied in France, Italy, and Mexico. After working briefly in Chicago, he lived for several years in New York (1957-64) before returning in Boston. Wilson lived and worked in Brookline for much of his career, which included more than 20 years as a professor at Boston University (1964-86). (King is also connected to BU, where he earned his doctorate in theology in 1955.)
The landmark exhibition “Witnessing Humanity” was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Metropolitan Museum of Art presentation was Wilson’s first survey in New York. The exhibition showcased more than 100 works, including prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture, and illustrated books, dating from 1940 to 2003.
JOHN WILSON (American, 1922–2015), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1985 (black and white pastel on Japanese paper). | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Richard Florsheim Art Fund and Anonymous Gift. Estate of John Wilson, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
King was the subject of several works featured in the exhibition, including maquettes for the Capitol Rotunda sculpture and a monumental head sculpture of the civil rights leader installed in MLK Park in Buffalo, N.Y. (The Buffalo work was unveiled in 1983.) Wilson also created two-dimensional studies of the King sculptures, which were on view in the exhibition.
Titled “Honoring a Civil Rights Icon,” Cohen’s catalog essay explores the Congressional commission and selection process; Wilson’s final modifications to the proposed work; his collaborations with White, the Architect of the Capitol; and the final inscription and placement of the King bust.
Wilson submitted the maquette for his King bust to the NEA on April 10, 1985. Citing the John Wilson Archive, Cohen said the artist included the following text with the commission:
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The statue will be a three-foot high bronze bust of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It will be placed on a six-foot high black marble pedestal tapered to integrate with the outer rhythms of the bust. The bust will be designed to create a portrait likeness of his outer appearance. I will also attempt to make the forms and rhythms of the whole piece (pedestal and bust) convey the sense of his ideas and the spiritual energy that made him a universal symbol for peace and freedom.
The NEA panel chose Wilson’s work because it was the best representation and embodiment of King, Gaither said.
“My recollection of the dialogue around the piece really centered around the differences between the three pieces,” Gaither told Culture Type by phone. “The Philadelphia submission was highly rhetorical and perhaps over gesturized. Betty’s piece was direct and angry. It didn’t seem like the essence of King. John’s piece had a meditative quality that matched more closely with King as he existed as a public figure. That’s more or less how I would break that down.”
John Wilson’s “piece had a meditative quality that matched more closely with King as he existed as a public figure.” — Edmund Barry Gaither
Installation view of “Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson,” Lois B. and Michael K. Torf Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Feb. 8-June 22, 2025). Shown, foreground, JOHN WILSON (American, 1922–2015), “Martin Luther King, Jr. (Capitol maquette),” 1985 (bronze, Overall (height): 45.7 cm / 18 inches); background: | Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
THE KING BUST WILSON PRODUCED for the Capitol Rotunda has been present during many historic and ceremonial occasions over the past four decades, bearing witness to pomp and circumstance, American democracy, and dramatic political change.
When Presidents Reagan, Gerald R. Ford Jr., and George H.W. Bush were memorialized and lay in state in the Rotunda, the bust was on display. King’s likeness was also present when President Jimmy Carter was honored in the same manner, from Jan. 7-9, 2025.
Former SNCC leader and Georgia Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Sen. John McCain III (R-Ariz.) lay in state in the Rotunda in 2020 and 2018, respectively.
Posthumous tributes generally reserved for government officials have also been bestowed upon the likes of civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who lay in honor the Rotunda in 2005. More recently, Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient (2022); Ralph Puckett Jr., the last living Korean War Medal of Honor recipient (2024); and Rev. Billy Graham Jr. (2018), also lay in honor.
By contrast, the King bust was in the room when insurrectionist supporters of Donald Trump violently forced their way into the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, assaulting police officers to gain entry and breaching many areas, including the Rotunda and National Statuary Hall.
The insurrection was an attempt to overturn the 2020 election in favor of Trump. The rioters aimed to stop Vice President Mike Pence from certifying the November election and thereby prevent Congress from affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
For nearly four hours, the mob desecrated the Capitol—battling police, marauding through the hallowed corridors waving American, Confederate, and pro-Trump flags, ransacking legislative offices, occupying official chambers, destroying furniture, and defacing art.
The Martin Luther King Jr., bust has stood sentry in the Capitol Rotunda during many historic and ceremonial occasions over the past four decades, bearing witness to pomp and circumstance, American democracy, and dramatic political change.
Installation view of the Martin Luther King Jr. bust (1986) by John Wilson in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. | Architect of the Capitol
On Feb. 6, 2021, then-Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton (2020-23) testified before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.
In a prepared statement Blanton said: “The initial assessment is that most of the damage—in areas maintained by the AOC—on the interior and envelope of the building was broken glass, broken doors and graffiti. Statues, murals, historic benches and original shutters all suffered varying degrees of damage, primarily from pepper spray accretions and residue from chemical irritants and fire extinguishers. This damage to our precious artwork and statues will require expert cleaning and conservation.”
He estimated repairs due to broken windows and other vandalism, replacing historic items, and enhanced security measures at $30 million. Miraculously, most of the paintings and statues avoided irreparable damage.
The King bust was unharmed on Jan. 6. AOC Communications confirmed to Culture Type that there was no record of damage to Wilson’s work.
Parks is was one of a handful of individuals recognized for distinguished service to lay in honor in the Rotunda. U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick (1978-2021) was another. One of many victims and heroes on Jan. 6, Sicknick lost his life that day. Defending the Capitol, he was physically attacked by rioters and died from injuries sustained during the violent encounter. Sicknick lay in honor in the Rotunda, from Feb. 2-3, 2021.
Four years later, the King bust stood sentry as Trump was inaugurated for a second term as President, taking the oath of office in the Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Ordinarily held outside on the West Front of the Capitol, the ceremony was moved inside due to the cold weather forecast.)
On Aug. 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson held a ceremony for the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in the Rotunda with Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and John Lewis in attendance.
Jan. 16, 1986: Coretta Scott King make remarks at the unveiling of John Wilson’s Martin Luther King Jr. Bust in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. | Architect of the Capitol
THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA IS INDEED a historic and symbolic space. On Aug. 6, 1965, President Johnson held a ceremony for the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in the Rotunda with King, Parks, and Lewis in attendance.
Two decades later, Wilson drove from Boston down to Washington to deliver his King bust. The artist took measures to protect the bronze sculpture for safe transport and headed to the Capitol, according to his Boston Globe obituary.
In the obituary, Bryan Marquardt wrote, “Before arriving in 1986 to deliver the bust, wrapped in blankets in the back of his Mazda, Wilson had not been to the U.S. Capitol.” The artist had told the Boston Globe, “It alienated me. I never felt part of it. But when I delivered the sculpture, that changed. I felt, a piece of me is in that building.”
On Jan. 16, 1986, Wilson’s King bust was unveiled in the Capitol before an audience of more than 1,000 gathered for the event in the Rotunda. Mrs. King removed the cover revealing the statue. She was accompanied by her four children and sister-in-law Christine King Farris.
Sen. Charles McCurdy Mathias (R-Md.), chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library (the congressional committee that oversaw the commission), said, “Martin Luther King takes his rightful place among the heroes of this nation.” Before she unveiled her husband’s bust, Mrs. King also spoke at the ceremony.
“The presence of his statue in this august chamber will remind countless visitors in countless years to come that America is a pluralistic and committed country dedicated to its stated credo that all men and women are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights. The fact that the Congress has chosen this opportunity to bestow this honor is also so important because so much of Martin’s life, his principles and his work, were linked to the actions and deliberations that occurred in these two chambers,” she said.
Forty years hence, Mrs. King’s remarks still resonate and are particularly relevant at this moment in the nation’s history. She continued:
“The fierce urgency of now compels us once again to look at, to look toward the Congress for compassionate leadership. We have much work left to do. If Martin’s dream is to become a reality each day as you and your constituents pass this corridor, it is my hope that you will be reminded both of the dream and the reality. Each day, it is my hope that you will remember that you have the power of change and that change for justice and compassion will always enable us all. It is my hope that this statue will always remind us that America’s greatest strength is in its pluralism, and in its respect for all the people.” CT
FIND MORE about the John Wilson’s Martin Luther King Jr. bust (1986) on the website of the Architect of the Capitol
Jan. 16, 1986: John Wilson’s bust of Martin Luther King Jr., is unveiled in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Sen. Charles McCurdy Mathias (R-Md.), chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library (the congressional committee that oversaw the commission), presided over the ceremony. Walter Fauntroy, Washington, D.C., delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, gave the invocation and the Morehouse College Glee Club sang. The video begins when Mathias introduced Coretta Scott King, who spoke and, at the conclusion of her remarks, revealed the bust. Watch the full ceremony here | Video by C-Span
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BOOKSHELF
“John Wilson: Witnessing Humanity” was published to accompany the exhibition of the same name, the first major retrospective of the artist. John Wilson’s study for the King bust in the Capitol Rotunda was included in the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, “In the Spirit of Martin: The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” graced the cover of the exhibition catalog. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Cleveland Museum of Art, are among the museums that have acquired the limited-edition print. “In the Spirit of King” featured numerous works inspired by the civil rights leaders by an array of artists working in many different mediums. Also consider the recent exhibition catalog “Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies.”
