Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-11-30
Painting In the Dome OF the
United States Capitol.

l Wuth CIOSeu NY hilCio idot "cSA'
| referred 10 the conception and design
of the "reliet iresco" in tie telt sur
rounding the rotuhda Of the dome by
tC. Brumidi. have been in charge OF
The dome OF the Capital since April l,
1879. and state facts from observation
without favor or parliality. Ny policy
is 10 let merit receive the reward even
among newspaper critics.
l cannot leave ihls subject without
giving my visws of the merit of the
late G. Brumidl who died Feb. 10, 1880,
at his residence 9l2 G. street n. W.
he suffered for many months with a
! com plication OF disorders, and suffered
all the time frem asthma. and, together
With the natural iu6rmilies of age, were
libe imn edate cause of his death. Mr,
| B. umidi left no family except an adopt
ed son, who bears his name and has
adopted his profession, and is al the
same school of ait in Rome. Almost
until The dealh.apgel called for hun
he continued his work on the flescoes
in the dome Of the Capitol, though
compelled TO sit instead of Standing,
his hand aud eye were as lrue and
strong rs VIXEN young, and the work
from tha. point on shows TO loss in
spirit or excellence Of execution. A
few months before his death he was
sitting near tie edge Of the scafi'olding
when his CHAIR slipped of, and he |
spasmodically Srasped the round OF the
ladder near by aud held by death
like grip, until II, II. Lemon, the |
walchmun above the picture, fan down |
l75 feet and pulled him in. 1 was gone
10 dinner aud had Mr.. Lemon not been
looking at him wheu his chair slipped
he would haye fallen to the stone floor
65 feet below. He.was on the scaa'old
but once after the narrow escape. He |
vas, for months, unable 10 walk up to
the landing where his work was being
executed. The architect lad cage
made and he was hoisted up to the
scafiuld in an elevator by tue wClkmen.
For months tie little scafOld that
clings to the wall, rs it were, in mid |
air under the dome, was deserled, and
curious strangers, looking at tie neg
lecled cartoons hanging over the rall-
ings, were told that Brumidi was al
home working 0n the cartoous, but
would never come back TO flush his
"irescOes.D But il was the dream OIL
his lie (ahlch had from his own llps),
to come back, and lie wanted with his
own hand 10 lead that historic process
sion around the treigc Of the dome, un-
til the encIrcling belt should lie COM
| plete. But his inGsmities pressed him
to The wall so fast that lie abandoned
tie hope, and occupied limsel: in sn-
largiu g his original designs into car
tooDs to working size, so that an artist
might complete the work by simply |
following copy.
Tie last group be worked On was the
Treaty Of Penn with the Indians
snd lie was on the cartoon work OF the |
Battle of Lexington.
He wss the genius CT The Capitol.
So many of lie statelie.t rooms bear
the touch of his tireless brush that he
will always be associated with 1t. he
was born in Rome, 1902, being nearly
seyenty-ive years old at his death. He
came 10 New York IN 1852, and was
engaged on church frescoes for many
years IN the United States and Mexico.
In Mexico lie made The sketches OF
the gieat Mexican Sun-oial and figures
Of idols which now appear in the un-
flushed lresco in lie rotunda. lie hrst
came 10 Washington in 1854, aud
noticing that tho walls could be adapt
ed iuI fresco work, asked permission TO
put on them some Of his work. Gen.
efal Meigs, who had charge of tie pub
lie buildings, WAS not inclined TO grant
ii, lut persistent application succeeded
and Tie Italian artist entered the
American Capitol for lite. His first
work was tie decoration of the Agri-
cultural room, tie central figure Of the
des:gn being "Ciucinalus driving the
plow.u Since that lime he has decorat-
ed lbe Presidents room tie canopy Of
the dome, tie Senate Post Office room,
The Stnaie Reception room. He paint
ed lie portraits Of Justice Story and OF
CLancellors Kent and Livingstone,
which Lang at The entrance OF the
basement story OF The Capitol. He
woi ked in spirit Of decoration which
Was d compromise between History
and Mythology. The designs are alle-
sorical as we'll rs historical. He tried
10 uldhc Ills WIN huiSiibdI1 dEN SuS-
ceeded. The God Mercury Nto in one
of the ire,coes Of the dome, represents
commerce, is the portrait of Robert
Morris, and Wisdom represented abstract
" by Minerva is indiyiCuallzed IN the
figures OF Franklin, Fulton and Morse.
The lrescoes on the canopy OF the
dome have been criticised by woud-be
artist in regard 20 Their coloriDg, but it
must be remembered that only nine
colors could be used upon the green
plaster, as the lime would eat up all
others. The scaffolding built for this
painting WAS conca,ed, or elevated so
the artist had 10 lay on bis back
to Iaint ii. Tie Perspective which
he Irtserved working in Ills pcsi-
ton is wonderful.
These canopy lrescoes were ordered
in 1854 and WAS completed, except
blen dino of hat koround in latter pnrt