Sargent did not receive a written contract for the Library project until January 1893, nearly three years after beginning work. It called for paintings at both ends of the hall and specified compensation of only $15,000, a meager sum for such work at the time. Sargent, after first considering Spanish literature as a theme, had decided that he wanted his murals to depict aspects of Judaeo-Christian religious history. Sargent Hall, looking northeast (1999 photo)