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Key periods of Missouri history are depicted on four murals and a painted glass window in the Senate Chamber. Richard E. Miller, an American Impressionist and native of St. Louis, painted the murals in 1915. The murals in the Senate chamber stand among an impressive collection of his works displayed throughout the United States and Europe.
The Missouri Capitol Commission Board wanted Miller's work in the Senate Chamber and solicited a friend of the Millers to propose the idea to him. The friend met with Miller and broached the subject over dinner. He was hesitant at first, but then agreed to accept the job if the money was adequate. When he was told the Commission could only pay $12,000 for two murals, he flew into a rage and refused. Miller's wife spoke up and told him that Missouri was his native state and his home, and it had been good to them. She said the new Capitol was of outstanding beauty and that she wanted his paintings to be a part of it. Miller finally agreed, and not only painted the two murals for $12,000, but also agreed to do two more for the same price.
Miller also designed the painted-glass window above the presiding officer's chair. The window, made by Paris-Wiley of New York, shows the landing of Hernando DeSoto, the first white man to set foot on Missouri soil.
Miller later painted a small mural above the Governor's elevator, which shows the first Missouri Capitol building. The mural is the only work by the artist in the Capitol, outside of the Senate Chamber.
The Story Behind the Window:
Hernando DeSoto Lands in America
The painted window represents European exploration of the New World. Under commission of the Spanish crown in 1538, Hernando DeSoto's army crossed the Atlantic to explore the Spanish region of Florida. More than a year later, he disembarked in Havana, Cuba, to reorganize his men and supplies. They continued on to what is now Tampa Bay, Florida. DeSoto led his men through the untamed wilderness, crossed the Mississippi River, and is believed to have spent the winter in what is now Northern Arkansas. Since DeSoto and his men kept scant records of their travels, their exact path through North America has not been precisely determined.
DeSoto and his men searched for gold, but found only salt in excursions through the Ozark Mountains. Unable to find the treasure he sought, he soon lost his closest allies and translators to illness. DeSoto himself succumbed to illness and died in the spring of 1542. It is said his men were afraid that Indians might dig his corpse up if buried, so his body was wrapped in blankets, weighted and placed in Lake Chicot, a lake formed by the Mississippi River in southeastern Arkansas. His army abandoned the mission and fled to Mexico City, Spain's nearest outpost.
The window represents the beginning of DeSoto’s historic expedition. He is shown as a majestic figure in armor on horseback, having just completed the long journey by sea. With hopes of finding land rich with gold, he is pressing forward with his men. Indians stand on the shore, awaiting his arrival.
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