Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-09

sculptured Ornaments Of the Re-
tunda and the Old Representative
HaII-A Look from the Dome.
Correspondence of the Union and American
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2S.-One of the pro-
minent points of attraction in Washington
is the Capitol, a huge pile which is variously
criticised as piece of architecture. Mad.
de Stael once said that architecture is
frozen music" and some one, perhaps only
a csrping critic, says, if SO, the Capitol may
fairly be regarded as full of sweet notes
sadly '.jangled and cut of tune" How
ever that may be, it presents many points
of excellence to green cOuntryman, per-
haps not so much in its makeup as in its
adOrnments. 1t was intended when the
location of the Capitol was fixed here, that
the city should be built up East of the ele-
waited plateau selected upon which to erect
the building, but instead the visitor finds
the city between. the Capitol and the river
on the West, spreading out over the low
and what was at one time marshy or
swampy ground. The original plan was to
make the East the front proper, and so far
as adornment is concerned, that plan has
been carried out, while. the western front,
that toward the city, is comparatively plain.
On either side of the eastern portieo-the
main entrance-are groups of statuary
which will be sure TO attract the attention
of the visitor. On the left is group by
Persico, symbOlicSl of the discovery of
America. Columbus is encased in armor,
said to have been copied even to the min
utest details from a suit worn by him in
his lifetime; is standing erect and holding
globe in his hand at considerable eleva-
ton, while beside him crodches a nearly
nude Indian woman, upon whose counte-
nance is depicted the astonishment we may
well suppose her people exhibited on see
ing the pale faces landing among them. On
The right is group by Greenough, said TO
symbolic civilization, but the point is Ger
tainly obscure. 1t is a very good repre-
sentation of a scene in pioneer life,
such as was of frequent oc-
currence 10 the early settlement of the
country, and is yet occasionally witnessed
on the Western frontier. A braWny In
dian, in the act of COMMUNICATING the wife
of a pioneer, with babe in her arms, is
suddenly clasped from behind by the sturdy
sdventurer in the wake of civilization, who
holds the arms of the savage in bis iron
grasp, rendering him powerless. Various
other sculptures adorn this front of the
Capitol, and impart to it a very pleasing if
not beautiful effect. The celebrated bronze
door, cast ia Munich from designs made by
Mr.. Randolph Rogers in 1858, is placed in
the min entrance. 1t was cast By F. Won
Muller in 1861, weighs twenty thousand
pounds, and is studded over with historic
scenes of great interest TO every American
citizen. On the facings are figures typify-
ing Europe, Africa, Asia and America
Eight scenes in the life of Columbus are
portrayed on the bronze shutters
of the door, commencing with that
where be unfolds his plans
to the Council of Salamanca for the dis
covery OF the New World, down to bin
death-bed, tpe whole forming a suggestive
history. The trsnsome panel represents
his formal landing on San Salvador and the
exciting interest that event awakened. The
door is further Ornamented with the head
Of distinguished historians of America and
Europe, and of royal personages, (Which
seems rather out of place on door Of thu
capital of republic,) besides arms and in
struments Of science and war.
fTHE RoTUNDA AND ITS PICTURES.
The visitor is fascinated with the scene
which is presented on entering the rotun
da, and il he has taste for the beautiful
iu art, is apt to linger long to drink in tn,
glCries which the pencil of the artist hai
created for his admiration. The dome
with all its airy grace aud pictured beauty
towers above him one hundred and eighty
feet, and the allegorical fresco of the dome
representing the arts of peace and war, o
civilization and agriculture and commerce
is sure to elicit expressions of ad
vVairafiOV of ifo orH nv
ecution. The rotunda is ninety-six feet
and the lower portions of its vast walls arr
covered with historical paintings and sculp
lures, representing scenes familiar to ever
student of American history. Four o
tsese paintings are by Col. John Trumbull
a son Of stern old Jonathan Trumbull, Wit
was Governor of Connecticut during tn
Revolution. These pictures represent re
spectively the signing of the Declaration o
IndeDendence, the surrender of Gen. Bur
goyre, the surrender of Lord CORVALLIS
and Gen, Washington resigning his com
mission as commander of the army, Z
Congress at Annapolis at the close OF tn
war. The artist was for while on Gen
Washington's staff, and in his pictures th
faces are all portraits painted from life
This fact gives them much greater inter
est than they would otherwise possess. Il
an article published few months ago, Sen
ator Sumner, who, it is generally ackno~l
edged, is a conuoisseur in all matter
pertaining to art, said, in speakln
of famous historical paintings: "To TIN
list must be added the pictures Of Trum
bull, n the rotunda of the Capitol at Wash
ington, especially the Declaration OF Inde
pendence, in which Thackeray took sin
cere interest. Standing before these tn
author and artist said to me: These are tn
best pictures in the country and he pro
ceed,d TO remark n pom their honesty an
6deh Y; but, doubtless, their real value
in thor Portraits" There are four NOR
pain ings Of great historical interest place
side bv side with those Of Trumbull. On
is by Weir, representing the embarkation c
the Pilgrims, quitting their comfortabl
J., res in England to seek an asylum fror
!. lis persecution in the wiids of Amel
IA. nother, by Vapderlyn, represents th
!. az 2 of Columbus, when he discovere
the NV World; third, by Powell, repre-