I dare to say that Butler goes under appreciated...

Most students dread entering Butler, me included. But I have a solution to keep your next visit more interesting. While you’re staring into nothingness trying to plan the next time you can nap, look up at the ceiling instead of staring at your screen. There you will witness an undiscovered relic. Or the closest Columbia will get to beauty inside their libraries. 

Etched into Butler’s ancient ceilings are beautiful reliefs depicting men and women, holding instruments and weapons, reminiscent of ancient Greek artistry. I had made this discovery while resting my head on a chair in room 210, attempting to get in a few minutes of rest. And as I opened my eyes, to continue my studiousness, I noticed that the ceilings weren’t their usual cracked selves. I was met with intricate reliefs, ones that very much impressed me. 

There even seemed to be some narrative to the etchings, with certain figures handing objects to each other, and other figures turning away from each other. They seemed to be mainly holding pens and novels, an obvious reference to the current place I was sitting in. There’s more to be said there, but I’ll leave it to the viewers’ interpretations.

Other ceilings of the library took a more standard approach, adorning the ceilings with patterns and ornamentation rather than figures, but still very beautiful. Even when one first walks into Butler, right above the security desk one will find a domed ceiling embellished with colorful patterns and decoration that create a visually intricate wallpaper. I find these a nice contrast to the usual grey-scale colors of Butler, with hues of red, green and blue splashed across the vaulted ceiling.

To me, it’s a game of hide-and-seek as only specific reading rooms have ceilings like the ones mentioned above, but others are just white walls with stains and cracks. Every time I choose to use a study room I don’t usually frequent I make sure to check whether I’ll be met with the artistry I encountered on the second floor of Butler. I challenge readers to take a look upward every time they enter a new space of the library, you never know when you may encounter workmanship embedded into the architecture of the building.

I think this art is a testament to what happens when one slows down and observes their surroundings once in a while. I’m one to fall prey to getting wrapped up in the fast-paced, go, go, go culture of NYC, but I think it serves one to take a moment to notice the things that fly under their radar, especially if it’s something one sees every day, such as the walls of a library.

Images via Author