Willard Straight Hall Mural

When Alison Mason Kingsbury returned to the United States with her European art education in hand, she secured a job in muralist Ezra Winter's studio. One of six assistants, A. M. K. worked for Winter from 1924 to 1927 on various interior commissions. Winter's mural pieces from the 1920s and 1930s were largely populated by historical, literary, and allegorical illustrations, complemented by a conscious sense of patterning that aimed for interior harmonies.

Between her time working under Winter in New York and Alfred Janniot in Europe, A. M. K. was throughly schooled in academic international humanism, which forwarded the idea that cosmopolitan content and form would appeal to broad audiences and overcome provincial and national biases. Seeking a universal visual language, international humanists turned to the "ancients" for their source material, mining their images from classicism and often adopting the mythology that came with it. The effect on A. M. K.'s own work is clear from her paintings from that time, which contain allegorical illusions and are populated by sinewy figures.

In 1925, Winter was commissioned by Cornell University to decorate the main lobby of its student union with a fresco cycle. A. M. K. was one of only two assistants who accompanied Winter to Ithaca, New York. While there, a Romance languages professor by the name of Morris Bishop began courting the young artist as she worked. Once he began climbing the scaffolding, the seriousness of his intentions became clear. On June 14, 1927, Morris Bishop and Alison Mason Kingsbury were married. The project was completed that same year, and Winter went home with one less assistant. Ithaca became A. M. K.'s new home and subject.

	Ezra Winter. The Willard Straight Hall Mural. [1927] [zoom] The placard that accompanies the mural reads: As a theme for the mural in the lobby of Willard Straight Hall, commissioned artist Ezra Winter chose to represent phases of human character. Each group in the continuous frieze symbolizes an ideal character trait. The mural makes reference to aspects of the life of Willard Dickerman Straight '01, after whom the building is named, and reflect his diplomatic and business career in China, his broad interests in the arts, and his overall enthusiasm for life. From the collection of Alison and Richard Jolly
	Ezra Winter. The Willard Straight Hall Mural. [1927] [zoom] The mural is located in the lobby of Cornell University's student union. From the collection of Alison and Richard Jolly
	Ezra Winter. The Willard Straight Hall Mural. [1927] [zoom] Alison Mason Kingsbury first came to Ithaca as Winter's assistant on the project. From the collection of Alison and Richard Jolly
	Ezra Winter. The Willard Straight Hall Mural. [1927] [zoom] Detail of the mural. From the collection of Alison and Richard Jolly

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