The earliest known realistic representation of the Capitol and its Madison environs is this 1851 watercolor of King Street by Austrian artist Johann B. Wengler. King Street was then the heart of Madison’s commercial district and the main entrance to the Capitol. This Capitol (Wisconsin’s second capitol and Madison’s first) was 104 feet long and 54 feet wide. Completed in 1845, it cost $60,000 to construct. Prominent on the left side of King Street is the Madison Hotel built in 1838 and destroyed in 1863. During its early years it was the location for many political meetings.

Johann Wengler was the first of countless artists and photographers who in their depictions of Madison were inevitably drawn by the visual interest of the Capitol. The original watercolor is owned by the Oberoesterreichisches Landesmuseum, Linz, Austria. SHSW Whi (X3)30106

Capitol | Hotels | King Street | Madison Hotel | Wengler, Johann B. (Artist)