Bas-Relief on south facade of Alexander Hall depicting Arts & Sciences Paying Tribute to Learning

The southern facade of Alexander Hall is decorated with thirty-six figures carved by the Scottish-American sculptor John Massey Rhind. The ensemble, which was designed in a style that complements the Romanesque Revival building, took Rhind more than three years to complete. It represents Learning surrounded by the various fields of academic study. To his left are figures that embody Oratory, Theology, Law, History, Philosophy, and Ethics, while to his right are Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Poetry, Music, and Belles-Lettres. The four panels to the left and right of this central section connect spiritual wisdom, represented by Jesus and Moses, with earthly knowledge, represented by figures of the arts (on the left) and the sciences (on the right). 

The depiction of the figure of Learning on the exterior of this building is fitting, given that the hall once served as the gathering place for the student body at the beginning of the academic year. Here, the integration of architecture and sculpture communicates that the study of the Arts and Sciences—particularly the Liberal Arts—is integral to Princeton students’ education.