When visitors arrive on the Seattle campus of the University of Washington, they are greeted by a stunning Gothic masterpiece that dwarfs many of the surrounding buildings — Suzzallo Library. Gaze upwards and notice the library’s 18 terra cotta figures, sitting in niches along the facade.

The sculptures depict individuals who made significant contributions to learning and culture. Three are Italians — Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, and Galileo. The other sculptures include such influential world figures as Shakespeare, Plato, Benjamin Franklin, Sir Isaac Newton, Goethe, Gutenberg, Beethoven, and Darwin.