Louisiana architectural artist James Blanchard painted "The Louisiana Statehouse in 1882" in 1990, after extensive historical research. The building, designed by James Dakin in 1847, was gutted by an accidental fire in 1862, while occupied by Union troops. Blanchard's watercolor shows the building located in Baton Rouge, as it would have appeared after it was restored by New Orleans architect William Freret. The rich color made it quite striking for visitors approaching by steamboat on the Mississippi River and attracted the derision of Mark Twain, who condemned it as a "sham castle" inspired by the medieval romances of Sir Walter Raleigh. The painting is on loan from the LSU Museum of Art as part of two exhibitions celebrating 300 years of Baton Rouge history, on display through July 2 in Hill Memorial Library on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge (see www.lib.lsu.edu/special).