Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-06-02
Art IN TIE DIsTRICT or CoLUmBIA.
Prepared BY Capt. Y. q. dams for the Ia
renn Of National EAnratisn.

MARBLES nj POWERS AND CRAWFORD.
No. n. On the 81 Of March, 1855, q Joint
resolution passed Congress approprlailng
t25, 900 10 enable the President Of The United
States to contract with Hiram Powers 'for
acme works Of art executed orto be executed"
The statues OF Franklin aud Jefferson, now In
the Capitol, are the result Of this order. They
were executed ut n cost Of 900 each, leay-
ing surplus Of $500, which was Afterwards
appropriated ~ another object of art. These
works, though not tho highest examples u
Mr. Powers skin, are n credit to us, and will
always be- cherished by the people for their
real worth.
Regrets have from time to time been cx-
pressed that Mr.. Powers had not been more lib
orally patronlzed by his Government, and that
his works were not moro frequently found In
our public buildings. But Mr.. Powers has
never been seeker after orders fromthe Gov
crnment, having "a many orders Ashe eau III,
and being unwilling 10 enter Into composition
forGoyernmcnt fayors, asserting that The pre-
tender who had the least claims would work
the hardest and use means not the most hon
CRADLE, and In the end was almost SURE 70 carry
of such prizes.
When General MoIga had charge of the
hhaRite f9teNh2p as I %ss charged with giving
plOylng them 10 the neglect a native talent.
but nothing could have been more unjust.
One Of the greatest difficulties General Mcigs
had 10 overcome was tho unwllllngrIesss Of
American artists Of the highest reputation 10
lay aside their prejudices aud enter into com
petition for such works IA were needed for
the Capitol. Most OF them were unwilling 10
be bound by contract, and wanted IN work
under such conditions rs the Government
would not agree 70.
south pedlments Of the cast front wings with
groups OF statuary Gen. Meigs anxious that
they should be the works Of prominent Amer
lean artists, addressed letters 20 Powers and
Crawford, inviting hom 70 do tho work. Not
n word was said about price Mr.. Powers was
ut Florence, Mr.. Crawford In Rome. The lat
ter responded at once, In letter breathing OF
patriotism, and expressing q readiness 10 pro-
coed without delay 20 mako the design and cX-
ocute the models. Tho figures In the north
pedlment somuch admired for their real merit,
and forming such harmonious group, arc
the result Of this order. After some time
letter was also received from Mr.. Powers,
docd expressing an unwillingness 10 under
take anything of the kind. lilo was afraid,
also that his work might share u fate similar
70 that Of y statue by n famous predecessor.
Hence, We have the south pedimont yet vacant.
Tho amount paid Mr.. Crawford for design
Ing and modelling this group Of figures for tho
north pedlment and also for designing and
modelling the figures Of Justice" and "HlA-
tory" over the doorway Of the north wlng-an
exquisite piece Of work-was t20,0O
The cutting Of these figures was done by
Italians, and cost t2S, $50.
The marble for these ngures Is American,
and was taken from tho quarrles at lac,
hassachusctts, and Is OF q very nne quality.
As near as we have been able 20 ascertain, the
whole group, as now placed, cost the Govern
ment nearly %, 600. e.gH
HRoNzE moons. 're
No. IS. Tho bronze door for tho main on
trance 10 the north wing, east front, was do
signed and modelled by Crawford, for which
he received $4,000. Tho door was cast by Mr..
James T. Amos, also an American, for which
he received ESQ, 4D6, making In all eos, 4ao.
Mr.. Crawford also designed the door for the
main entrance to the s0uth wing, the plaster
model for which was made by Mr., W. II, Rlne-
The massive bronze doors IN the passage
leading from the old House Of Representatives
to the new were designed and modelled by
Rogers, young artist from the West, and Of
whom We have good reason % feel proud.
These door were cast In bronze abroad, by
y. Won Miller, u German. Eight thousand
dollars was paid TO Mr.. Rogers for his models,
and tl7,OO6 TO Mr. Miller for the casting,
making t25, 600. In addition 10 this, nearly
5000 were paid for freight and expense, In
all t2a, 600 The difference between the cost
Of these doors and those east by Mr., Ames Is
worthy Of notice. .Hh
TiaURE or YREEnoM on THR DONE.
No. 10. This Ia female figure intended to
represent Freedom" which surmounts the
dome. This figure was designed and modelled
by Crawford, aud, We regret 20 say, Il fall
ure. Al the great altitude Il Il placed II loses
shape and outline, and the eye secs only an
unIntcliglble mass. We would call attention
here 10 the great cost attending this work,
which, II win DO seen Is unnecessarily large.
Three thousand dollars was paid Mr.. Oraw-
ford for designing and casting tho model In
plaster, sum moderate enough. hut the
amount paid 70 Mr. Clark Mills for labor,
IL SrSSsa @ %na ana f fSSiGf & :S o
machinery and cost Of placing Il on the dome.
Tho cost Of casting tlis figure, II Will DO seen,
Ia ut least three times as large ~ any private
gentleman In any other city could have got
such work done Tor. Tho casting, too, was oi
a very inferior kind.
RUST, sTATUARY AND nRoHzH y
No 20. Mr.. q. Brotti, an Italian, for apedes-
tal IN niche In the Senate retiring room, for
modelling a work OF Justice for the door Of
the House Of Representatives aud for model
Ing an eagle, was paid $500, '..-
No. 81. Tho bronze eagle over the clock In
the House Of Representatives II the work Of
Messrs. Archer, Warner n Mlskay, Americans,
and cost ei5O II Il good, rs well In design
No. % was by the same IA No. 81. These
arc the bronze raillnga 80 deliberately designed
and clearly executed on the stalTwayp Leading
10 the House and Senate. Their Offoct Is lost
Tor want Of space and light, and but few per-
sons stop 10 OTalnino their exquisite workman
ship, Tho question Ia frequently asked why
such rOally valuable works are placed where
hstr Aorlts show IN 40 great disadvantage.
INTaso ralllngs cost the Government s22. 048. 1a.
~. soema pity that 90 much money could not
have been spent on works that would have
had some really good influence ON the Inter
eats Of art. ~.
No. ~. The bronze Corlnthlan caps for
columns and pllastera In tho main stairway,
and also the brOnze arms 10 the seats In the
gallery Of the House Of Representatives were
designed and executed by Cornelius n Baker,
Americans, for which they were paid 20, iO6,
On tho 18Th day OF August 1863, Congress
appropriated $4,000 for works Of art 70 deco