City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Veteran's Memorial Commission

Art is not always the tame painting of pictures in a lovely studio or in a beautiful garden—nor yet the creation of a medley of colors. Sometimes it means semi-acrobatic stunts and call for knowledge of carpentry, as proved by the late Grant Wood, local artist, who designed the $9,000 art window that is placed in the Veterans Memorial Building.

In his studio, March 1927, Mr. Wood drew the small design for the big window. When he came to making the life-sized working drawing, he hunted all over town for a room high enough for his drawing board. Finally, he was loaned the use of the old recreation room in the Quaker Oats Plant.

Here, perched on a high wooden scaffold, he and his assistant, Arnold Pyle, worked on the drawing, which was 24 feet high and 20 feet wide, the actual size of the window.

Instead of an artist’s smock, Wood wore overalls, the uniform of the Quaker Oats workers who played shuffleboard below him during the noon hour. He mounted his drawing paper on board sections that could be taken down when it was necessary to remove the window model.

Many difficulties were encountered in drawing the working model for the window in which there are from 8,000 to 10,000 pieces of glass. One of the worst problems was the perspective. Wood was forced, after experimentation, to make lines and spaces in the top of the design wider than those at the bottom so the figures would appear in proportion. Then he labored long to adjust the design, so disfiguring leads would not cut the face.

Amber is the prevailing color note in the window, enriching it with notes of red, yellow, blue and green. Translucent and antique glass were used, the latter for the paintings.

Mrs. Nan Wood Graham, sister of the artist, modeled for the heroic central figure, a woman standing sixteen feet tall and wearing a Grecian robe. The figure with toes pointed down, floats in the clouds, giving the spiritual effect found in many of the renaissance paintings. Draped over the woman’s head is a mourning veil of blue. In her right hand, she holds the palm branch of peace, and in her left, the laurel wreath of victory.

At the bottom of the window, on either side of the bronze, memorial tablet set in stone, is a border of soldier figures with an oak leaf background. These are life size, six feet tall, as were the models. Each figure is in the uniform of the Private of the war represented —The Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, The Mexican War, The Civil War, Spanish American War, and the First World War.

Insignia of the army, navy, and marines, with conventionalized laurel and palm leaves, were used in the border of the window design.

Upon awarding of the manufacturing contract to the Emil Frei Glass Company of St. Louis, it was found that this company, though excellent in their field of church windows, could not portray facial expressions of the average American soldier. It was then decided to allow the Frei Company to install the window, but to manufacture it in Munich, Germany.

Mr. Wood spent a month in Europe overseeing its manufacture and cast the faces, which were used. He returned and arranged for its placement and completion on March 9, 1929.

Since its completion, thousands have viewed this beautiful artwork. The Lady of Peace and Victory watching over the gallant soldiers who fought and died in the service of their country is certainly a cherished possession to be looked upon with gratefulness and reverence.