Congressional Record UNUM

E PLURIBUS

United States

of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

Senate

Vol. 144 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1998 No. 150

(Legislative day of Friday, October 2, 1998)

COMMENDATION TO THE CURATOR

OF THE CAPITOL, BARBARA

WOLANIN

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I

rise to recognize the tremendous work

accomplished by Barbara Wolanin, the

Curator of the Capitol, in preparing the

excellent book on the art in the Capitol

created by Constantino Brumidi. The

Curator did a magnificent job writing

and editing the many articles and photographs which depict the works of the

Italian artist, Constantino Brumidi,

who was the principal artist of the Capitol. The book was compiled under the

direction of the Architect of the Capitol, and Dr. Wolanin had the assistance of many of her colleagues and fellow employees in the Curator’s office.

So I would like to commend them all

on the excellent quality of this book

which will enable many to read about

the numerous and exquisite works of

painting, sculpture and architecture

which Constantino Brumidi created to

cover the walls and ceilings of the Capitol.

I would also like to recommend this

excellent artistic book to all of my colleagues and to the many others who

will visit the Capitol. The book is

available at the Senate and U.S. Capitol Historical Society gift shops.

The new congressional publication,

Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the

Capitol, was authorized by the 103rd

Congress (S. Con. Res. 40) as part of the

celebration of the bicentennial of the

construction of the Capitol. The book,

prepared under the direction of Architect George M. White and completed

under Architect Alan M. Hantman, has

taken a number of years to research,

write, illustrate, edit, and design. The

book is richly illustrated, primarily

with photographs taken by the Architect of the Capitol Photography

Branch. It is intended to be valuable to

those visiting and working in the Capitol as well as to specialists, and it

should enhance the appreciation and

understanding of the building’s mural

decoration for years to come.

Brumidi painted murals in the Capitol between 1855 and 1880, contributing

greatly to the beauty and unique symbolic character of the Rotunda and of

many rooms and corridors. Brumidi

had great skill in making the figures

he painted on a flat surface look three

dimensional; he created rooms where

the decoration goes from floor to ceiling. He was also a master in using rich

and vibrant color. His murals pay tribute to American history, technological

achievements, and values.

Brumidi’s Capitol murals, including

the canopy and the frieze, the House

and Senate Appropriations Committee

Rooms, the President’s Room, the Senate Reception Room, and the Brumidi

Corridors, are the major focus. The

book also gives an overview of his career, including his training and work in

Rome. It was primarily envisioned and

written by Dr. Barbara Wolanin, Curator for the Architect of the Capitol,

who has overseen the conservation of

Brumidi’s murals. The book would not

have been possible without the assistance of many on her staff, especially

photographer Wayne Firth. The book

includes chapters by a number of other

experts, including the Architectural

Historian for the Architect, William

Allen, historian Pellegrino Nazzaro, art

historian Francis V. O’Connor, and

conservators Bernard Rabin, Constance

Silver, Christiana Cunningham-Adams

and George W. Adams, to provide additional perspectives. The book includes

information about other painters working with Brumidi, a chronology of

Brumidi’s life and work, and a list of

known works by him. The Government

Printing Office is to be commended for

the special care it took in the design

and printing.