New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-05
New9 lcrk daily @tibnne
DECORA TIONs OF THE CAPITOL.

Proa Our Own Censspondsst
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, June 2, 1855.
LoOkirg over The rRrBrsEs that have gath
cred on my table during IA absence of some days
from the city, End among them letter from my
friend Profemo, Gsjsni, defending the art decora-
tons Of tie Capitol and vindca,ing his country
pap, Sig B'umidi, who has planned and directed
.ho.e decorations.
Ihave no desire 10 impair the force OF what Pro-
fntor Gsani alleges of the talent Of S!s. Brumi Ii
AID Of bis reputation as an arhst in his own coun-
Try, though, from what know of the present state
Of the arts and Of taste in Italy, should not deem
an Italian reputation so conclusive OF merit IN
painter as il once was. But apart from bis eulo-
gies upon Sig. Brumldi-eulogies which, from so
cultivated and 50 Elm .ere man ia anl are entitled
TO much copslderation-l find in reply TO my crit
icisms only the following paragraphs, which re-
produce from his communications
"t.s fact tina, IN Erssoe In England in Besom in Italy
and everywhere public buildings bsS~ been dscoAted BY comp
artists you style and symbols leeores and
classical memories Oecas pAy adopted BY sno brnaI ne
-ho preceded him. aud especially with Nchsei Aoeeo and
Il !. in vain 70 say that the.s ab.urde Of old world
should be corrected America for reform has yet been At
tylr from the old wsr d. and Of any
s6ool Of art founded Oh different theory aid taste
Brunid because they ook foreign aud b;ray the Italian
en say, bscsus. they classical in the subject and
equally offended the taste of correspondent on this p
net believe, besses that IN tie hne arts w De posso -
do entirely away cs,ca memories aud symbols having
teuers acceptance Classical dapry also csonot Dc gwen up
for the and een absurd fashion o. modern
Tie Of Fonpei hs,eia 70 your coHePonden
ud casense any sound judgment 70 enter the
the Ascour raj Committee without osg struck BY the good
choice of the subject the excellent execution The Roman
Cncpnsn' the pow stands on ole side aud opposite to
there il Gen. Putnam, American Cincnr stus also At
.ss st these tp .ssepe that their .one Italian ta.tc
though bic beet make the thing American
counterpart thar OF CincDrsius the mer, OF the picture does
consist THEN being The be.. possible portrait OF the Rev
tonaIy hero but conveying the moral des OF It's meaning
II is no doubt true as Professor Gaani says,
that in Europe everywhere in the past, public build
| iprs have been decorated in the same style OF
| symbols aegories and classical memories, adopted
| BY Signor Brumidi. 1t is equally true that III
the literature of Europe the style of classical
alusiOn has prevailed in the past. The great epic
poems of all the modern DatiOns begin with nvoca-
tons to the Muses., and the works OF the masters
| in the art Of poetry abound with elegant illusions
| to Venus. Mars, Neptune, and all the rest Of the
rabble of Olympus. But it is equally true that the
| poet of the present day, who should seriously in-
| woke the MUSES. or introduce the Greek aud Roman
| Dlyinties into poem on a modern topic would be
| Justly jldged to have written himself down an
ass Nor could he defend his preparation of such
nonsense by alleging that he ony cOPied the great
masters of poetry, as Professor Gajan defends
Signor Brumdi by alleging that he only adopts the
style of Raphael aud Michael Angelo. Taste has
made, rapid strides in such matters in the last half
| century in the modern centers of art and cutiva-
| ton. 1t has advanced less rapidly in Italy
| than in some other countries, and that
| is oYitself sufficient reason for not committing
the decoration of the Capitol to Italians.
| To Prof Gsani's remark that Classical drapery
cannot be given up for the ever changing and often
absurd fashion of modern dresses" must beg
leave to dissent. The costume of our Colonial and
Revolutionary epochs, the costume of the founders
of our States, the garb OF the pioneers, the back
woodsmen and of the aborgines, are all of them
sufficiently well adapted to artistic treatment and
susceptible of picturesque effect. Asa general rule
however, it will be found, think, that only native
artist or one long and intimately acquainted with
| our people and our scenery can Use them wit
| truth and proper accuracy cid not complain
| Brumidi's Putnam that it was not good portrait
but that il represented not farmer of Connecticut
but farmer of the Roman Campagna.