Masonic Tracing Board
John Ritto Penniman (1782-1841) |
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| Name/Title: | Masonic Tracing Board |  | | Date Made: | ca. 1820 | | | Maker: | John Ritto Penniman (1782-1841) | | | Nationality: | American | | | Place Made: | USA: Massachusetts, Boston (Probably) | | | Materials: | Oil on canvas | | | Measurements: | overall: 65 x 40 1/2 in.; 165.1 x 102.87 cm | | | Accession Number: | 89.76 | | | Credit Line: | Special Acquisitions Fund | | | Object Type: | Instructional Device | |
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A view of King Solomon's Temple rendered in neoclassical style. The two pillars Jachin and Boaz stand in the foreground courtyard accompanied by an array of symbols that include the beehive of industry, rough and smooth ashlars, a mallet and chisel, a lewis (lifting ring) for raising blocks of stone, an hourglass containing the sands of time, a 24-inch marking gauge to measure work, a trowel to spread the cement of brotherly love, and a slate board upon which the Grand Master draws his plans. In the center a Bible is surrounded by the three "lights" of Masonry accompanied by a square, plumb, and level that also allude to the three principal officers of the lodge. The seal of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is shown on the building's pediment. Statues of the allegorical figures of Faith, Hope, and Charity adorn the vestibule roof. This tracing board, which was created as a well-designed architectural composition in perspective, was removed from King Solomon's Lodge Masonic temple located in Charlestown, Massachusets. Penniman was initiated in St. John's Lodge, Boston in 1810 and is known to have completed many Masonic commissions in the Boston area. In March 1816 he completed a monumental emblematic painting for Columbian Lodge titled "The Flooring," for which he was paid $330. In 1821 he was chosen to decorate the interior of the New Masonic Hall in the Old State House, Boston.
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