About this Piece
400 feet above the ground, stands the iconic Sower on top of the dome of the Capitol. The Sower casts the seeds of life and is meant to represent the farmers and families of Nebraska as well as highlight the importance of agriculture in the state.
Lee Lawrie created at least six different sowers throughout his career and his fascination from them was rooted in witnessing farmers at work during his childhood in Illinois.
The exterior of the Nebraska Capitol symbolizes the history of Western civilization and embodies the “Spirit of the Law as shown in history.” It is richly decorated with significant historical events and notable figures.
About Lee Lawrie
Lee Lawrie was born in Germany in 1877 and came to America with his family four years later. As a young boy, he sketched the world around him and it became apparent he had great artistic talent. His first formal job as an artist came at 14 when he was hired in a sculptor’s studio to do odd jobs. It was at this job he taught himself how to model clay in the evenings. He would eventually attend Yale where he earned a bachelor’s of fine arts. He stayed at Yale where he taught until 1919.
Lawrie and Bertram Goodhue met in the late 1800s when the two began collaborating on various projects. Lawrie specialized in architectural sculpture, which was a direct compliment to Goodhue’s appreciation of early Gothic revival designs. The two would achieve a breakthrough in their approach during the construction of the Nebraska State Capitol. They created an approach that fused architecture and sculpture into an integrated and simple design.
