In 1916, a year after construction had begun on the new building for the Field Museum, Henry Hering was commissioned to complete statues, low level relief panels, and other decorative features for the building. He produced eight caryatids, four low level relief panels, and four muses representing the aims of The Field Museum.

Hering’s caryatids, sculpted female figures serving as pillars, can be seen on the exterior of the building on four separate porches. Some of their faces are slightly damaged by acid rain that began eroding parts of the museum in the early 1980’s.

Above each caryatid porch resides a different low relief panel or frieze also designed and created by Hering. Each one depicts a different department of the museum: Anthropology, Botany, Geology, and Zoology. The one seen in this picture represents Geology.