Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way

Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way
Artist	Emanuel Leutze
Year	1861
Dimensions	6.1 m × 9.1 m (20 ft × 30 ft)
Location	United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Owner	Architect of the Capitol

Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (study)
Artist	Emanuel Leutze
Year	1861
Dimensions	84.5 cm × 110.1 cm (33+1⁄4 in × 43+3⁄8 in)
Location	Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
Owner	Smithsonian Institution

Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (also known as Westward Ho) is a 20-by-30-foot (6.1 m × 9.1 m) painted mural displayed behind the western staircase of the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol Building. The mural was painted by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze in 1861 and symbolizes Manifest Destiny, the belief that the United States was destined for Western exploration and expansion originating from the initial colonies along the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. A study measuring 33+1⁄4 by 43+3⁄8 inches (84.5 cm × 110.2 cm) hangs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.^[1]