Our country’s first de facto national cemetery—established 50 years before Arlington—historic Congressional Cemetery has been a final resting place for Washingtonians for more than 210 years.
The atmospheric environs offer wonderful opportunities and subjects for drawing: cenotaphs (19th-century memorials to congressmen who died in office, designed by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe), funerary sculptures, and the tombs of many notable figures including Mathew Brady, J. Edgar Hoover, and John Philip Sousa. For artists, the 35 acres of rolling grounds and picturesque vistas along the Anacostia River provide the perfect setting in which to explore the fascinating interplay of light and shadow.
Spend a day capturing this unique urban landscape in a workshop guided by drawing instructor Paul Glenshaw. A brief orientation tour of the cemetery is followed by a morning drawing session, a break featuring a gourmet boxed lunch in the cemetery’s chapel, and more drawing in the afternoon. Students work with simple, portable materials—pencil, charcoal, and paper.
Sturdy, comfortable footwear and clothing is strongly advised. Recommended for intermediate and advanced students only.
Download the supply list for this class
One 5-hour session (Rain date Fri., June 8)
Tour participants meet at the front gate of the cemetery.
Please note that Congressional Cemetery is home to a membership organization that allows off-leash dog walking on the grounds; learn more here.
