Chris entered the McKim Building, Boston’s central library since the late nineteenth century. The lobby’s marble floors and vaulted ceilings with mosaic tiles were striking. More magnificent was the Grand Staircase with ivory steps, yellow marble walls and paintings by a famous French muralist. The paintings by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes represent (left to right) philosophy, astronomy, history and chemistry. The lion is one of two by sculptor Louis Saint-Gaudens. The artwork flanking the entrance to Bates Hall (upper left) represents the nine muses of inspiration welcoming the spirit of enlightenment.
