The New York herald., 1871-12-26

The Present and Prospective Art
q Work n the Capital. ? ,s4

q Work n the Capital. ? ,sI
v,e- I'll r~7T~-,p1~1~1rrfp1>rry ssv4 r.,viy n
Tho Ttssse Paintings In the Halls and Corri.
dors-BaA Taste In the Dseorations-Thsn
Brcaae Dcors-A New Door Necessary for se
The House wing-statuary That win g Ia
bDs Rsquired--A Great Opportunity ~ 20
q for Our SAmericanaf Artistss Y y
q ,col ,sadt -c.l--SsJ e9i.I fsh
se.asnoas ewasnnsros, peo %, 1s7,.
Thevsosesque fun Of Senator wlIson's proposition
70 have his eemnitSse room whitewashed can only
Do apprecated BY one who has nspected tina fresco-
work In the hals ana corridors OF the Capitol. The
national pfopenStty 10 %hite~ash Whatever b orez.
sive m ponucsc or unswhhy nnV architesurs wns
never more artfuly suggested or moro funnlly pre-
sented., do not want to write an essay on the
achievements Of American kalsominers, nor TO por
tray the beauties which We owe solely 10 the white
wash brush, but know OF no more frttng place for
the application or shis peculiar art than Capitol
Hin Prom che ailegoricall picture M tAs dome or
the ROtpnda down 70 the very 3crypta underneath
che immense building, the handlwork Of the artist
might proftsbly be swept away by the hanicraft OF
rnB eArsfisf'si SRorHsR or ras BRUsH. - !
Exceprng in some of the "details Of portrait ana
animal painting N Leutze's picture Of 1.-THE Course
Of Empire, e;wonld suffer no loss II the allegory
disappeared forever. Whether we should lose any
thing IN losing even the best OF the historical Pic
tures may weiT ~ dOnbted also Inc lgauny deco.
rations iofs stAe nrPressdsnla Room lu are Il GER
sainlS as yalpeless - they are dAlastPful.
and well might Senator Wilson hewail the
cucumber patches which adorh the walls OF the
Senate Colnmittee On Mihtafy AGAhA Yet sAeSe
would Wtlng1y Dpars ifeI o0uld command the une
limited use Of lhe whitewash brush In other parts OF
tho building, 1t 10 the work OF the fresco painters
which is my especial abomination. Away Id the
endless oorHdofs of the Capitoa ofteK IN dark re-
cessesWheSe mon wers compellcdiso work by ess.
light and where ORDINARY human vision cannot pen-
etrate, is tiresome succession OF artistic duness
and stupidity wrought out oy the unceasing enthu-
siasm Of t1e sreadmill. Evsrysconcsvsble bird In
nature and 0tt or It. not forgetting the winged
bipeds In the worsed works Of cient ladies' OF the
last generation, can IND us portrait among the acc.
orations entwined with Mowers and fruits and vege-
tables. the Museum OF Natural History In the Cen
tra Park fails to compare In profnsion with this
most WONDERFUL collection OF painted birds; and,
What s more those stand in stunned dulness, while
these are all on the wing One day last week I
walked perhaps miles among these painted feathers,
but was brought 70 full stop At last by the staring
countenance OF '".' Y 9i = r., M
~, AN EVhh WAkEfUL OWL I.
Anybody who believes that the American owl In
su'ges in perpetual slumbers or only opens single
aye IN the dead or night 70 catch glimpse OF the
moonlight, has only to visit the Capitol as did to
Oe convinced Of his error Not moro than forty
PAGES from the stairway marked "For Senators
Only, an Inscription suggestive Of things seen,
and Just inside Of one OF the windows which admit
light ana air INTO the cavernous recesscs OF the
national Capitol this noble bird may be found BY tho
curious. Tho other birds seem uneasy in their
latuce-work OF vines and flowers ana sweet pota.
toes and pineapples, but this fine fellow has work
10 do, and ne does it-hts task being to uphold
painted bird cage In which thore Is painted
canary. Nothing coald be more ridiculous, and
there could be no severer comment on II
THE EMPTINESS or AMERICAN ART, II t sf
and yet We are expected TO gaze upon this thing
ano ehjoy IT. just SOME people expect us TO enjoy
the puerity or Winnie Ream's statue OF Lincoln In
the old nan Of tne House OF Representatives 'Vs
1, cannot forogo what comes to me in the light OF
dutytne duty Of exposing this singular freak OF the
ARTISTS brush as specimen OF the art work done for
she na,ion. After seeing il once went back again
% see ~ the owl and the canary bird and the bird
cage were rcay there feeling rather impressed that
what had seen was only an ugly VISION Aftor
threading %y way among Soonnaacs orr, q every KIND
deep, Under the COMMITTEES room and the nails OF
Congress at last came again upon that bird OF
foGever Win Inc bird caee over il, unless Senator @
Wilson'S expedlent is adcpted and II ts wnitewashed
sSe sas r must na qsss ao%s sS ssy 70
thing no Ever drew. In his drawings, especially In
Dream there u yomethlns which ia very IKE art.
svsn ~ i VS. deny tina, m his wSre Y snrs rely sFs.!cj
pa mcn M o a
Itself may teach an import ant lesson aud prepare
US 70 IIcas the Images which dlsigurc the Capitol
- Whence came the tdes Of dauDng the walls Of the
Capitol with these crudllies Is og those nlster-
msio reporter cannot an ferret o aener
ally, the dau6s which may DO seen Con every hand
are attributed y ,,r =, u ..sa ,9,,ssa = eli@ -
who got somebody's ear IN Ile time OF somebody's
6dministfatlop and used the ilplsoed confidence 60
Most Of Il Was done 81 Runide, Believes but L Is
scarcely worth whlle 70 ascertain definitely. Like
Gring the Ephesian dome, and " aose name was
consequently doomed to forgetfulpess, these heed,
Less arlsA asssiys eAy oblivion; Bramlda nad his
among his works unless thas Saud[ops owl should
keep bis memory green. All the SEC WORK Das
Very vastness b appslIns. The noted pictures. st
least In iresco. OF the great Italian masters are OUT
Y S: ne II " Ss osRS ss sa sssS
periscaOn ont shs Seau,es q srt nave their eGest
fected his opinion OF the fresco paintings In his
COmmiteee room, but perhaps the Agricultural
yommKsee Room Of the House is even more won
derful s'Tnc palntn9s" tine visitor n informed In
one OF the many Ruideb0oks for the Capitol, fare
emblemattcaa Of the business intended 10 be trans
acted ig.n But tis rather roeeate description
for the two pictures which first caIcl the eye arc
those unusually patriotic old gentlemen CIncinnatus
and Israel Putnam leaving the plough. II Is not ofteu
that any Of The persons who undcrtake.so show
TwRAr THEY KNOW ADUur PARNIN0 800 aoi
in this room chavo any .cortsot notion Of what
plough IL like. The plough, however, forms Q very
important feature IN The decorations Of the Capitol
In the famous pronze door, designed by
Crawford, ct the main entrance TO tho
Senate wing. peace and It's attendant tr1umphs
are represented BY this useful implement
and on H. until one bcgins to feel Of sincere
pity for Tho mucbab9sed plough. Tns defac,s every.
where apparent ~ the works q art wnlch are sup
PvsSu - srt,ssa ncasvcr- onI owocuseS