The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-04
ART AND ARCHITECTURE.

decoration or adornment is needed to make
them artistic; they have the beauty of perfect
proportion. But the new buildings are heaped
and piled with roofs, pinnacles, porticos and
marble Capitol of New York, at Albany, is
building beyond the dreams of the most
dent lover of architecture. It stands on
height, and is visible from far down the Hud-
son river It has great variety, the architects
intention of not balancing anything being
perceptible everywhere. The towers are
capped with red tiles, which would have
looked well on our State Capitol, especially
as we have tile works of our
own. Inside, the walls are lined with
the richest marbles. the most beautiful paint
ings, the finest hangings and carvings. The
great fire places of the various rooms are mag
nifcent works Of art and all unlike each
other, and unlike anything ever seen before.
The carving on the outside is mostly in fine
flat belts, and there are no big squares or pan
els seton for ornament. In Albany, Utica, in
Boston, and in all wealthy old Eastern cities
the new buildings are being put up in rough
red brick with red mortar and the stone
trimmings are Of red sandstone. The style
now is to build everything in arches; for in
stance, a row of stores has each show window
in great brick arch The effect is most
beautiful, and will always be beautiful
White mortar and galvanized iron, painted
dingy white, are things of the past. Nothing
more enchanting can be imagined than the
ceilings of the great government build
ings in Washington, and in the Capitol
at Albany They are carved, painted, gilded,
frescoed; some are beautifully arched others
paneed. A lovely FEELING is a most charming
decoration, and always remembered with
pleasure. How mean, how sordid, how pitt
full is the expression sometimes heard, Of re-
greet that money is spent in public architect
ure. Our court-hous is a beauty, but, like
all buildings, it needs repairing constantly
It is neglected, was never finished; the chin
ney for the furnace was never built. It is
fire-proof, and great credit to the State, and
it ought to be maintained and finished in
good style The few pence that are saved by
neglecting it are worthless to the public, while
this grand building, if kept clean and in per-
feet ORDER is of the greatest value to every eye
that sees it.
In dustless Washington are some fine works
of art. In the Hall of Statues, in the Capitol,
is new statue of Muhlenberg, the Pennsyl-
vanian, throwing off his clergyman's gown
and drawing his sword to fight in the revolu-
ton. 1t is by lady-Blanche Nevin. It is
the figure of a slender young man, both face
and figure of perfect beauty, in the costume
Of the Revolution. Though marble, it looks
like flesh, and the cloth like cloth; the silk
gown is of a feathery ightness, and of
cracking silk texture, and the gown is man.
aged to give the statue its necessary support.
Beside it stands the statue from New York of
Robert Fulton. It is always surrounded by
delighted throng of all sorts of people of
all grades of social rank and culture
which shows that great work of art is appre-
ciated by everybody. 1t is of spotless marble,
yet is Robert Fulton in his good old leather
cushioned, leather fringed and brass nailed
arm chair Under the chair is block of
wood Ingenious support of the statue) from
which he has cut his steamboat model,
and near his feet lies block of pat
tern makers wood-you can see the
layers of criss-cross wood and the glue Be-
tween them beautifully depicted in the mar
BILE. Under the chair are old books on me-
chanics-dog -eared, soft, thumbed, smooth
with age and much using-which he has
studied and beside them are divers careless
ly-folded, half open mechanical drawings of
soft GRUMPY, worn paper; you cannot
enough admire the art with which they were
made in marble The attitude of Fulton is
of the most perfect ease and comfortable
abandonment to study, as he sits in his cosy
old chair, resting in its arms and back in
complete absorption in his steamboat model,
which he is holding in his hands. His face
is shrewd, pleased, intelligent; he looks at the
| model as if he felt sure it must go, and you
feel drawn to that face with friendly inter-
est; and there is his thick, curling hair all
over his head, which is of beautiful shape.
He is in his shirt sleeves, of full, ample, soft,
heavy old-fashioned muslin. He wears