Images of a Legend
PRESERVATION OF CAPTAIN SMITH BY POCAHONTAS
1825, Antonio Capellano
In the 200 years following Smith's Generall Historie, other
representations of Pocahontas and the "rescue" were concocted, but
it wasn't until the early 19th century that her status as a mythic
figure took flight. This sandstone carving in the U.S. Capitol
Rotunda is a case in point. By 1825, the rescue of Smith had been
popularized in romantic novels, biographical dictionaries, and
dramas such as The Indian Princess. It had also been placed
within the chain of events leading to the founding of the American
republic, so it seemed a fitting subject for the capitol building.
Sculptor Antonio Capellano made his relief simple and bold to ensure
the story was readily identifiable in the sculpture's location high
above the western door of the rotunda.