Washington sentinel., 1854-04-04

ARCHITECTURE OF THE CAPITOL.
The following appears in late New York
paper. Of their correctness each reader must
Judge for himself Our object in making re-
publication will be answered, if we can thereby
call the attention of Congress to the style and
character of our public buildings subject
which deserves more attention than it now re-
ceives:
. have had a glimpse of Greenough's new
group of statuary. 1t consists, as you are
aware, of a hunter, who has grappled with an
Indian and apparently subdued him, and of a
woman and child whom the hunter is supposed
to have rescued from the death,blow of the
savage. To this is added the hunters dog.
The whole struck me as very superior to Persi-
co.'s group, which stands on the opposite plat
form of the Capitol steps; but criticism must
be deferred until the workmen engaged in fix
Jag the statuary shall have finished their labor.
"Some complaints have been made that
these groups have been placed on the upper
most platforms, and certainly Persicos group
would appear to better advantage if placed on
that Immediately below. AT all events, certain
parts which offend against our American ideas
of decorum, would not be as obtrusve then as
they now are. Some of the senators were last
winter profane enough to wish that the whole
Of this group might be converted into lime, and
perhaps no great harm would be done if they
should be gratifed in their wish.
"The Capitol, however, wants something
more than groups Of statuary to make it what
it ought to be. The outer dome, as all arch
tects agree, is too large, and its disproportion
is the more striking from its being of a different
color from the bodyof the edi6ce. When build
ing presents fat surface, as in the case of a
common frame house, it is very well to relieve
the monotony Of the walls with green window
shutters. But when there is variety in the very
structure of a building, especially when that
variety is given to it by columns, steeple, or
dome, there ought to be uniformity, or at
least harmony of color, to produce unity Of
effect.
ave have this exemplifed in our immediate
neighborhood. In our National Observatory,
the body of the building is of one color, and the
dome of another. A, little above Georgetown
the Jesuits have erected on their grounds
building which is much smaller than the Ma
tional Observatory, but resembling it in form.
They, however, have given one color to the
body of the building and the dome. No one
can compare the two observatories without be-
ing convinced of the superior good taste dis,
played by the Jesuits. Yet, with this example
under our eyes, the dome of the Capitol, which
is taken in at one glance of the eye with the
body Of the building, and which, viewed from
a little distance, is the most conspicuous part
Of it, is suffered to retain this striking and un-
pleasant contrast of color. 1.
"Making the dome of the same color as the
body of the building, is not, however, the only
wanted. Anything that goes so
high up in the air, requires something like
pyramidal or conical topping to give it suita-
BILE finish. The dome of st. Pauls at London
is crowned with lantern, and so is the dome
of st. Peters at Rome So are most of the
principal domes of Europe; and so ought the
dome of the Capitol to be. If 1T aciU bear 1t.
When the workmen were putting up the scat
folding wherewith to erect Mr.. Crutchett's
great gas-light, which was to illuminate the
whole ten-miles square, could not help think
ing that it would be quite as well in them to
let the scafolding remain, as though it made
but poor finish to the building, still it was
better than none. Speaking Of this afterwards
to the Superintendent of the Public Buildings,
he said he himself had been struck with the
improved appearance of the dome when the
workmen we're taking down the great gas-lamp
and it was at certain distance above the top
of the ballustrade.
"Yet this is not all. The columns Of the
portico on the east front are, as measured by
the eye, apparently no larger than the balcony
columns on the west front and the base of the
dome comes so near the tiny columns of the
portico, that it appears almost to rest upon
them. On the west front the effect is not so
bad, as there the base Of the dome does not
approach SO near the line of the columns.
II know not how this defect can be remedied,
unless it be by covering in the tiny columns
and the steps, and erecting near the foot of the
present steps suitable number of magnificent
columns corresponding to the size of the build
ing; z; r., D.,,- ,,....
which the Capitol is built, admits of so much
license, that this could be done without impro-
prietv. So magnificent building as the
Capitol ought to have magnificent columns
for its portico, if it has any and covering in
the steps would be concealing glaring de-
formity. The steps of a building should never
be too conspicuous. Each Of them is a minute
object, and it seems impossible SO to combine
them as to produce grandeur in effect; even if
high outside steps were ornamental, they ought
not to be tolerated, for they are nuisance in
our climate. 1t is unpleasant to ascend them
when the wind blows, and unpleasant to ascend
!
to ascend them when the weather is hot, and
unpleasant to ascend them when it is cold.
When high fights of steps are necessary, they
ought to be placed under cover
The Greeks, whose architecture we admire,
but in attempting to initiate which we are al
most sure to make some bungle, never had
high flights of outsidesteps to their public
buildings, They, indeed, erected their temples
on high hills, and placed them on terraces, but
the ascent to the portico was always by few
steps. The propylea of the citadel of Athens,
was not an exception. There was high fight
of steps there, but it led to terrace, not to
portico.
We are not alone in this kind of bunglng
The king Of Bavaria has, within few years,
erected a splendid palace on an eminence near
the Rhine, modelled after the Parthenon. A
gentleman who has seen it says the approach
to 1t from certain directions is made by such
multitude Of steps, that the effect is utterly
spoiled, the steps being more conspicuous oh.
ject than the building.
"This is glaring fault in our architecture