I hesitate to make an ongoing thread, as some of my others have been abandoned like ill-conceived NaNoWriMo projects, but I'd like to do a thread about paleo & fossil hall murals.
Growing up in MKE, trips to Chicago's Field Museum were frequent. When I lived in Chicago for 10 years, I tried to visit the fossil halls at least once a year. The Knight murals with their pastel colors & impeccable layouts are ingrained in my brain.
Growing up in MKE, trips to Chicago's Field Museum were frequent. When I lived in Chicago for 10 years, I tried to visit the fossil halls at least once a year. The Knight murals with their pastel colors & impeccable layouts are ingrained in my brain.
Growing up in MKE, trips to Chicago's Field Museum were frequent. When I lived in Chicago for 10 years, I tried to visit the fossil halls at least once a year. The Knight murals with their pastel colors & impeccable layouts are ingrained in my brain.
But I'd like to celebrate a few of the unsung murals that grace (or graced) museum halls, sparking imaginations & doing their darndest to convey the science of the time.
In 1941, geologist Yves Milon hired painter Mathurin Méheut to produce murals for the new Geological Institute in Rennes.

Milon worked w/ the Resistance to fight the Nazis so he did not monitor Méheut's work closely, allowing the artist a bit of freedom in his interpretations.
In 1941, geologist Yves Milon hired painter Mathurin Méheut to produce murals for the new Geological Institute in Rennes. Milon worked w/ the Resistance to fight the Nazis so he did not monitor Méheut's work closely, allowing the artist a bit of freedom in his interpretations.
In 1941, geologist Yves Milon hired painter Mathurin Méheut to produce murals for the new Geological Institute in Rennes. Milon worked w/ the Resistance to fight the Nazis so he did not monitor Méheut's work closely, allowing the artist a bit of freedom in his interpretations.
The pieces are stylized & lively.
As far as I can tell, 25 paintings were made for the museum, though it seems only 6 feature prehistoric animals. Méheut was assisted by Yvonne Jean-Haffen. Méheut chose the murals' colors to match the hall's furniture.
As far as I can tell, 25 paintings were made for the museum, though it seems only 6 feature prehistoric animals. Méheut was assisted by Yvonne Jean-Haffen. Méheut chose the murals' colors to match the hall's furniture.
As far as I can tell, 25 paintings were made for the museum, though it seems only 6 feature prehistoric animals. Méheut was assisted by Yvonne Jean-Haffen. Méheut chose the murals' colors to match the hall's furniture.
As far as I can tell, 25 paintings were made for the museum, though it seems only 6 feature prehistoric animals. Méheut was assisted by Yvonne Jean-Haffen. Méheut chose the murals' colors to match the hall's furniture.
Let's cross the ocean for the next mural, the T. rex from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. No longer on display, this (utterly bizarre) interpretation once graced the wall behind rex's mounted skeleton. It was painted by Ottmar von Fuehrer in 1950.
Let's cross the ocean for the next mural, the T. rex from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. No longer on display, this (utterly bizarre) interpretation once graced the wall behind rex's mounted skeleton. It was painted by Ottmar von Fuehrer in 1950.
Let's cross the ocean for the next mural, the T. rex from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. No longer on display, this (utterly bizarre) interpretation once graced the wall behind rex's mounted skeleton. It was painted by Ottmar von Fuehrer in 1950.
Not so much a mural as a large painting, this image by George Geselschap used to feature in the AMNH Brontosaurus hall.

I knew it because it was reproduced in the Reader's Digest book, "Our Amazing World of Nature." Those sand & clay colored dinosaurs haunted me.
Not so much a mural as a large painting, this image by George Geselschap used to feature in the AMNH Brontosaurus hall. I knew it because it was reproduced in the Reader's Digest book, "Our Amazing World of Nature." Those sand & clay colored dinosaurs haunted me.
Not so much a mural as a large painting, this image by George Geselschap used to feature in the AMNH Brontosaurus hall. I knew it because it was reproduced in the Reader's Digest book, "Our Amazing World of Nature." Those sand & clay colored dinosaurs haunted me.
The far end of Elephant Hall in Morrill Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln features a mammoth mural by Mark Marcuson.

Marcuson attended a Triceratops dig & was encouraged to apply at the museum when folks saw his sketches.

(1st pic by Craig Chandler [no relation])
The far end of Elephant Hall in Morrill Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln features a mammoth mural by Mark Marcuson. Marcuson attended a Triceratops dig & was encouraged to apply at the museum when folks saw his sketches. (1st pic by Craig Chandler [no relation])
The far end of Elephant Hall in Morrill Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln features a mammoth mural by Mark Marcuson. Marcuson attended a Triceratops dig & was encouraged to apply at the museum when folks saw his sketches. (1st pic by Craig Chandler [no relation])
Marcuson later studied Linguistic Anthropology & lived for years in Nepal, teaching scientific illustration. Today he mostly paints lovely still lifes.
Marcuson later studied Linguistic Anthropology & lived for years in Nepal, teaching scientific illustration. Today he mostly paints lovely still lifes.
Marcuson later studied Linguistic Anthropology & lived for years in Nepal, teaching scientific illustration. Today he mostly paints lovely still lifes.
Marcuson later studied Linguistic Anthropology & lived for years in Nepal, teaching scientific illustration. Today he mostly paints lovely still lifes.
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