National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-29
BRUMIDTS BRUSH.
THE LIFE WORK OF THE OLD ARTIST.
Observations Of An Artist Reporter About the
Capitol-HOw Frcsco Painting is Done-NO-
safes in Coiorad Piaster-The Gray
Artists Love for Birds.

hour in open-rnoIIthed establishment, gazing up to
where Signor Fillippo Costiggini is attempting tC
finish the life work of Brumidi, while their know
ing city relation tells them ali sorts of unheard-o
. and improbable stories concerning the magnlhcen
pictures The hired man of THE REPUBLICAN, has
1athomed the matter, after an arduouS season OF
toll and research and now shoots off the following
When quiet little funeral procession wound It's
way through Washington's beautiful streets in the
early part of last spring seeking an open, humbly
situated grave in Greenwood Cemetery, which wa;
waiting TO receive the remains of
CONSTANTINE BEUauDI,
one could hardly help thinking that had this man
lived, labored, and died in any of the European
crpials where art and its successful devotees are
more highly appreciated than in our own land
what different sort of burial he would have had
1t is true that there has been talk of placing
statue of the noble old artist in a conspicuous
portion of the Capitol and this will most likely be
done at no distant day. And then he was eulo-
giZed by two eloquent Senators who knew the
man and understood his work. Important
affairs are crowding thick and fast one
upon another, and poor Brumidi, the man
who created the beauties in freSco that so grandly
Rdorn every portion almost OF our Capitol viii soon
be entirely forgotten. But his pictures will live
until the walls of the building whereon they are
wrought shall have crumbled with age and are
passed away. No one, on entering the rotunda of
The Capitol at Washington now fails to stop and
gaze far up TO the inside OF the great dome where
the almost living and breathing creations of rare
artists genius stand forth so prominently and
naturally 10 nearly startle the beholder, whose
eyes are held in wondering admiration. For more
than quarter Of a century Brumidi toiled over
these walls, leaving upon them wherever his magic
hand touched decorations that will live for ages.
There is hardly committeeroom or a corridor
FhaEI haa- II
Of by Brumidi, and then executed by the dreamer's
masterhand. And the crowds now stand in the
ootunda and glance up at the great unfinished
WORK OF HIS LIFE,
The pure fTescoing in the dome, which was TO have
told all there was totel of American history. begin
ming with the landing OF Columbus and ending
when? Signor BTumidi often and fervently ex-
pressed great wish 10 live long enough TO finish
this work But now, after he has labored upon it
for two years. his hand is palsied by DEATH and if
1t is ever completed the work must be done by
another. No character about Washington was bet
ter known than the strange artist who, although
oflate years his body was too infirm 70 permit of
his walking up the long stairways leading to the
"belt" of the dome, where the 1reScoing was in
progress, was, nevertheless always seen at a GER
tain hour in the day standing sitting on a some
what rudely-cOnStructed swinging platform
brought up close 10 one side of the dome, toiling
AWAY, while the people who stood 50 far below that
they looked to him like dwarfs could not see what
progress the gray old worker made You cannot
perceive the hands of a watch move as YOU look al
them, yet they do move, and accomplish a great
deal in recording the passage of time. So it was
with BruInidis work. For two years he labored
upon the belt" Of the Capitol dome, and although
In week. in q month, probably the careless OBJ
server could not see any material change in the
growing picture, three or six months would show
grandly what faithful and untiring labor can &C
complish. To reach the point where his work was
going on Sgnor Brumidi entered a small, cagelike
box on the rotunda floor and the box was then
elevated by rope, passing through a pulley aloft
in the dome. Inthis way he was lifted quietly and
safely up to the dizzy height where his hearts
work was progressing, while his falling strength
was not unnecessarily taxed. The work which he
was engaged upon when
STRICKEN DOWN BY DEATH
was to have been the realization of his hfe's
dream The belt" of the rotunda, upon which
the grand frescoing was being done, is hundred
OF more feet above the pavement of the rotunda
This belt is seven feet in height and two hundred
and fifty feet in circumference. Upon it the artist
was painting in imitation of sculpture in alto
riero, series OF scenes representing the most i'm
portant events in the history of this country The
belt was divided so as TO make fifteen groups and
the subjects chosen by Brumidi were The Land
ing Of Columbus" "Cortez and Montezuma at
the Temple of the Sun" "Pizarro going
to Peru" Burial of De Soto" Captain
Smith and Pocahotas. Landing of the Pilgrims
civilian Penn and the Indians" Colonization
of New England" "Oglethorpe and the Indian
Chief" Battle OfLexington, Declaration of hide
pendence," Surrender of Corvallis Battle OF
the Thames and Death of Tecumseh," Entry of the
American Army into the City of Mexico and THE
Discovery Of Gold in California" Not more than
onethird of the circumference of the belt is COM
pleted. The subjects are all finely worked out
The effect is such that the figures stand boldly out
from the back ground, and seem to the eye of the
spectator below 10 be sculpturei in stone The
work is done in genuine fresco as have been all
the paintings in the Capitol executed by Brumidi.
They similar in style TO the rescoes of Michael
Angelo in the SiStine Chapel the "Stauye" of
Raphael in the Vatican, and Of Corresgio in the
cupols inthe Duomio of Pauna, whichare the most
important examples ofthe art now extaut
PAINTING IN FRISCO
is done with earthly or mineral cOlOrS mixed or
ground in water, which are applied to the surface
of plaster sTucco while it Is still sufficiently fresh
or vet 70 imbibe and incorporate them with itself
The painting IS in fact, Mosaic in colored plaster
Il is almost nde>rucible and Will retain its orig
inai color and brilliancy unchanged for centuries
which II i painted may remain intact the fresco-
ing will be bright and beautiful In the process of
execution only as much surface of plaster is pre-
pared al once d be completely finished while
il Is still wet. For this reason the picture has
70 p5ogTeSs slowly and by piecemeal: each
small section must be completed so as to
harmonic with the re-t. OF the composition.
and 70 Ee,cUch after j: is dried is an impossibiltv
fiili-s-1ed cartoons of outline drawings must be
prepared. and careful studies OF color must be
made before she process of actual painting begins
From The cartoons the outlines are transferred
directly the plaster 10y busting through Derfora
tons made along the lines Of the drawing. and.
guided b. the color studies. the small section in
hand j. completed Great difficulties are en-
countsFeG by the srtiSt because the eolors when
applied 70 the wet plaster are much darker than
they VIII finally appear when dry. The most
colossal work executed by the dead artist is the
well-known categorical painting on the canopy in
the deme u sne Capitol. This canopy is composed
OF q hsSket-wcTk Of interlsccd iron rods covered
over wish a smooth groundwork of plaster. and is
suspended ike great inverted saucer over the
circular aperture in the centre of the vauted cell
ing Of the Totunda by multitude of iron rods. at
taChed 10 the ribs of
THE OUTER DONE.
This picture. which was completed in 1855. Is 100
well known 10 need description. The decorating
Of the Toon OF the Committee Agriculture of the
House Of Representatives was finished in 1855. It
WIS ar that time considered the best example of
mural decoration i'll the country and today. on &C
count OF the excellence OF the artists method of
applying the co!0TS, they ara as pure. bright and
fresh Is when first laid on. The rooms of the Com
mittees on Military and Naval Afairs are beauti-
fully ard appropriately decorated with The same
kind Of work. Over the door of the room of the
Committee OF Patents there IS painting of Robert
Fulton, with his little steamboat IN the distance
plying Ia d small stream, IS it once did in reality
steam through Rock Creek between Washing.
ton and Georgetown. In the rom of the
Committee on Indian Affairs there are frescoes de-
scripiiVe OF episodes in the life of Columbus. Las