World Map Mural

Gardner Hale completed his World Map Mural for the auditorium of the Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., in 1931. This large-scale oil painting was one of the final artworks by Hale, who died soon after in an automobile accident in California at the age of 38. Hale was an advocate for fresco and mural painting in America. He authored two books on the topic and completed dozens of large-scale paintings across the country.

Hale painted World Map Mural in sepia tones with gradations of pale blue to mark the oceans. The mural includes major inland waterways, maritime trade routes, three compass roses, and some major cities. Two cameos of the North and South Poles flank the composition, as do a series of six grisaille sculptures. Hale also included inscriptions and painted the decorative crown molding at the top of the map, which are now obscured. His mural is an artistic projection, not a precise rendering, despite its careful attention to geography. It is also a fine example of the revival of mural painting that took place in America in the early 20th century.