Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-25

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1880.
The National Capitol-..N0. 2.


ho N""'Vh" O"p's~s A'"' ~
Br ELizAbRrH.
Mr.. Editor We will now open the bronze
door at which we left your readers in our
last letter, and enter the rotunda. This
magnificent apartment occupies the center
of the capitol. It is ninety-seven feet in
diameter and three hundred feet in circum-
ference. Its hight, from floor to the center
of the pictured canopy which overhangs 1t,
is one hundred and thirty feet and three
inches. We will first look at the pictures
which surround it. There are eight of them,
each occupying large panel, and they meas
ure eighteen by twelve feet each. The first
is the I" Landing of Columbus at San Sal
vador in 1892" by John Vanderlyn; its cost
was $4,000. This picture represents the
scene Washington Irving so admirably de-
scribes in his Voyages of Columbus" oc-
curing the morning the boats brought the
little Spanish band from the ships to the
shore. The second in succession of events
is in 1541, De Soto's Discovery of the Mis-
sissippi," painted by William II. Powell
cost $4,000. The scene is view of the
Mississippi river, with islands, and canoes
filled with Indians. On the bank, soldiers
and priests are planting cross. The next
in order of time is in 1913. "The Baptism
of Pocahontas," by John Gadsby Chapman +;
cost $4,000. This picture tells its own
story. The characters introduced are Poca-
hontas, John Rolfe, afterwards her husband,
with the Rev. Alex. Whitaker, who is per-
forming the ceremony. Several Others, male
and female, are stationed in different parts
of the church. The succeeding picture, in
chronological order is "The Embarcation
of the Pilgrims from Delft Haven, in Hol.
land, July 2lst, 1920" artist Robert Walter
Weir; cost $4,000. The scene depicted is
the delivery of the parting prayer Of Mr..
Robinson, the pastor of the little congrega-
tion, on board the Speedwell, surrounded by
the pilgrims and their friends. The four
other pictures were painted by Colonel John
Trumbull, son of Jonathan Trumbull, gov
ernor of Connecticut previous to and dur
ing the Revolution. Colonel Trumbull was
himself at one time aid-de-camp of General
Washington, but retired from the service in
1777. The Trumbull series of pictures are
especially valuable, because each of the
many faces painted in them are actual like
nesses, for which many of the subjects sat
| to the artist. and when this was not the
case, copies of portraits at the time in the
possession of the respective families were
introduced. The paintings are the result
of many years devotion to his art by Colo
mel Trumbull and of patriotic endeavor te
perpetuate the grand deeds which they com
memorate. He received for these four pic
lures $4,000. They were ordered in 1917
Colonel Trumbull was born in 1756-diet
in ls43. The first is "The Declaration O.
Independence, 1776." The room is copiet
from that in which congress sat. There arr
forty-four portraits in this picture. "Th'
Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga
October 18th, 1777," represents him, at
tended by General Phillips, and followed b,
other officers, arriving near the marquee o
General Gates. A number of the principa
officers of the American army are assembled
near their general. This picture contains
twenty.seven portraits. " Surrender of Lore
CORVALLIS at Yorktown, October 10, 1881. 4.
This was the triumphant closing scene o
the war, and the glory of the triumph seem
to linger on the glowing canvas. 1t repre-
| aaptQ tho mr. vphau tho y,rippina1 off
GERS of the British army, conducted by Gen
eral Lincoln, are passing the two groups o
American and French generals, and enter
ing between the two lines of the victors
There are thirtyfour portraits in this pic
ture. The last of the four is the d" Resgna
ton of General Washington at Annapolis
December 23d, 1888" The number of per
sons introduced into this picture is thirty
one. Among the spectators are Marth'
Washington and her grandchildren.
Over each of the four doors leading from
the rotunda are olto-relieuos in stone. Th
cost of the four is said to have been $l4
600. The group over the last door is " Th
Landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rocl
i'll 1920" artist, Signor Causici of Verona,
pupil of Canova. That over the north dool
way is William Penn's Treaty with tn
Indians" A Frenchman, Monsieur n
Gevelot, executed this work in 1927. Owe
the door opening west is The Preservation
of Captain Smith by Pocahontas in 1906.
Signor Capillano, another pupil Of Canovs
was the artist. The group over the doorwa
leading south is Conflict between Danie
Boone and the Indians in l777." This
the work of Causici. Eight long narrov
6assorelievos of arabesque pattern are in tn
panels above the pictures. Four of ther
contain medallion heads. The heads ar
portraits of Columbus, Cabot, Sir Waite
Raleigh and La Sale. The whole of ther
cost 80 800 There is above the architrav
a sunken space nine feet high surroundin
the chamber. This recessed panel is to
filed with an alto-relievo illustrative of Anne
lean history. The artist, Signor Brumid
has now been over two years at work on i
He was born in Italy, trained in the academ
of arts there; was employed by Pope Grel
ory TX. in repairing the frescos Of Rapha
in the Vatican; also executing some fin
altar pieces. He was several years engage
in portraiture there. He came to this coul
try twenty-five years ago, and has for ov'
twenty years now been engaged in the art {
the capitol. Nearly all the fine frescoing
the work of his pencil. He claims to be ii
only real fresco painter in America. i
combines his colors in simple preparatic
of lime and water, laid on a surface of gree
plaster, into which they are immediate
absorbed, becoming as imperishable as Il
material itself. He is wonderful old ma
and though he has passed his eightie,
milestone, his hand has lost none of its Gu
ming. His eye still catches sunbeams, il
prisons them, and steals the tints from Il
+ rainbow. Some of his finest work is Il
i. ceiling of the senate post-office and the d
', ferent committee rooms.
's A short distance above the frieze thirt
" six tall windows admit food of light in
Is the chamber Above them springs d
/. dome, lessening in curvature until contract
le to a space of fifty feet in diameter, formiI
n the eye of the dome. Beyond and over IL
es open eye, within the canopy that overhan
W IL. ia painted Brumidi's fresco of d