Repository: UIHistories Project: Course Catalog - 1893-1894 [PAGE 24]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

been seven and a quarter millions of francs. The design was placed by the art committee second on a list of 289 competitors. Mr. Gay's generous gift occupies the place of honor in the museum of industrial arts. ART AND DESIGN. The University art gallery was the gift of citizens of Champaign and Urbana. It occupies a beautiful hall, 61 by 79 feet, and the large display of art objects has surprised and delighted all visitors. In sculpture it embraces thirteen full size casts of celebrated statues, including the Laocoon group, the Venus of Milo, etc., forty statues of reduced size, and a large number of busts, ancient and modern, bas reliefs, etc., making over four hundred pieces. It includes also hundreds of large autotypes, photographs, and fine engravings, representing many of the great masterpieces of painting of nearly all the modern schools. Also a gallery of historical portraits, mostly large French lithographs of peculiar fineness, copied from the great national portrait galleries of France. Other collections of special value to art students embrace a large number of casts of ornament from the Alhambra and other Spanish buildings, presented by the Spanish government; a set of casts from Germany illustrating German Renaissance ornament; series of art works from the Columbian Exposition, and large numbers of miscellaneous casts, models, prints, drawings, etc., such as are usually found in the best art schools. LIBRARY. The library, selected with reference to the literary and scientific studies required in the several courses, had, May 5, 1893, 25,500 volumes. The large library hall, fitted up as a reading-room, is open throughout the day for study, reading and consulting authorities. It is intended that the use of the library shall largely supplement the class room instruction in all departments. Constant reference is made in classes to works contained in the library, and their study is encouraged or required. The reading room is well provided with American, English, French, and German papers and periodicals, embracing some of the most important publications in science and art. The library of the State Laboratory of Natural History is rich in the world's best literature upon biological sciences, and affords advanced students excellent opportunities for work in this line.