Paleoartist Jay Matternes “created the Smithsonian murals between 1960 and 1975, working with museum scientists and doing his own research to depict specific environments. Each mural was made for a specific space and exhibition, and each was painted on canvas that was adhered to plaster walls, he said. They took years to complete.” The murals were removed for the multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation of Fossil Hall, and they’re too fragile to actually put back, but two new large-scale prints will be very close.