Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-25
UNIQUE ART AT THE CAPITOL,
How the Basement Walls Of the senate
Are Decorated.

/
How the Basement Walls Of the Senate
| Are Decorated.
THE oKSrrHoLoGY or Tue WESTERN CONTINENT Ac-
cURATELY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or TIE
ORIGINAL PLAN OF pEcoKArIoN-A NEW PAINTING
FOR THE RorUNDA.
Down In the basement OF the Senate the walls
are the most deliberately decorated OF any in the
| capitol. IL Is the poorest lighted and the least
frequented floor OF the building. and 1t Is often
| matter OF wonder TO people visiting the capitol
| that so much eHe was taken to cover the walls
| with artistic designing. The restaurant, the bar
Der shop. the stationeryroom and the less desira-
| BILE committee-rooms are on that noor The walls
| In other parts OF the building are fres,oed more
| spaFingy and In Larger design. But these are
deep-toned and present a panorama Of nne paint
ingA 1t suggests the beginning Of scheme Of
| decoration abandoned before completed a TO the
rest OF the building. And such It is
The figures are nearly all small and they cover
armed Ceilings 0Sa over some Of The doo ne
| ways there are large figures, and here
and there are panels representing small
| franklin, ". bster. N ,rshall, and Clay. But the
| greater part OF the painting represents birds OF
varied plumage. and here and there a native ami
NAL. A person familiar with the FIELDS and for
ests will readily recognize many birds The hunts
man VIII md the partridge, the woodcock, the
/
| meadow lark reproduced in color so natural that
| no good dog would ever pass them without COM
None but an artists hand could have done The
work. Besides these are the blue-Jay with all its
chattering impudence. the cat-ord with all his
dread or snakes and love OF cherries, the domestic
rooin red breast the WOO ipeckrr, the sap-sucker
the flicker, the buli-nncn, the cardinal
capped rcd-oird, the boo-O-nnk, the blue-bird,
thrush. mocking bird, the gorgeous little hum
mins-oird, the yellow birds that come In nocks
Ike shower OF sunshine, To eat seed from the
He.1D M 0harr lod has
sage owl. and a hundred aud one other birds IA
miiar 10 everyday life. They are all natural
detail OF form and color Is naturally portrayed
Then there are other birds not familiar 70 these
parts Passing hiouyh the corridors one Is sur
rounded oy AN archaeological carnival. nne
scroll forms a sort OF framework or relief Inter-
spersed throughout the design are punches and
sprays oil native plants and flowers and here and
there "A snake common 10 this CLINE coils his way
up among the scroll-work Chipmunka SQUIRRELS
common ned mice. nyins-squirrels, beavers, mole,
tudes. Clusters OF grapes, cherries piumS
peaches, pears, and other native fruits with here
and there an tar OF Indian corn, complete the de-
sign.
THIS WORK WAS BEGuN
about ten years before the war. Brumidi and a
number OF other famous fresco artists were en-
gagged upon the work. That was at time when
there was surplus IN the Treasury. Onicials did
not know what To do with the money anu we're
seeking some proper expenditure Tor II, before t
was finally decided To DIVIDE 1. among the several
70 ire,co the Caption. IL was proposed to deco
rate the walls VI the building throughout
except ~ the rotunda, after tue highest manner
oI arr, the painting 10 represent accurately the
ornlthology VI this continent, North ami South
America, the WORN intended to Oe SO Complete
una n4' cus student STg though the ould:
o. every known bird OIL the New WorlI
Tnere would be also some or The smaller ANIMALS,
spent studying ne walls OF the Capitol one Was to
see eS ny oird ne could NM In lie time OIL travel
I II he cod reg ons OF the north through the
United states Mexico, Central and South Amer
lca. Ine proposi ION Was readily agreed 10, and
the WORK begun. lhe scroll and panel portraits
OIL distinguished men were 10 relieve the mouolOny
80 Ihat me whole effect would be nisnly artistic.
bruinIdl was engaged for the panel al 81 per day.
In scron work could be done by any ordinarily
good Iiescoer, anu al lists uiost skilled In bird
painting were engaged ior the rest Of the work.
TIE LOWER STORY OF THE SENATE WING
was competed Wnen tue war came on the sur.
plus vanished and the design was never carried
further; but the broad expanse OF wall there fur
nisneS a resting placs Tor a great many birds or
gay pIundSe. Ihe South American BIRDS With
feathers VI tropical luxury, gorgeous In red green
aud soid are orset ny sJue or the less gau1y ami
more ulgalned ooAlns birds OF this Climate. Here
and there turtle-doses are kissing, aud hawxs
Irom lUIty perches threaten des.I uclon 10 The
wuoie wall or irescoed birds The owl sits la
JudgAflL Oh the art, Win all his natural repose
VI mai-lier and Wisdom OF ex PRESTON. the WORK
mas gone Iar elougn 10 snow TO the visitor many
Oil DIS lie never before, as well as d Ia rye rep
reSentation OF thoSc VITA which ur l., fl.uillar
They are not punched together spread out Lac
chart Tney are put here and tuere among The
panels ana scroli-worS, so as Naturally "
InaAe prop part OF the Ornamental
lion, nne artistic effect being always preserved
Tue palutlng Was done from n-Lurai models The
1irds common TO thIs Climate were painted FROM
birds that were Shot and stuffed Tor Inc purpose
ana Tie fare oirds-s,uu (Which used TO We Ia
the Patent ONCE, now IN Inc Smithsonian, were
used as moJeis II was only III u rev cases, where
these models could MT be uad, that Standard or
nitnoiosi Illustration, wsre resurIed to- AS lar
nut Liners
Paintings as True 10 uaJ1Ie as this scOng Since
ne war no one uas Mad The courage 10 propose an
appropriation 70 carry out the or IN Al de 81 u As
IL now SANDS the basement walls or the maze
are e most ornate In Tue capitol In soue D. ace,
IN Ing Is being def aced oy the careiessuess oI
einpioyes, VINO cart documents Larougn the CORR.
doris ON hand Il ucks.
NEW PAINTING FOR THE RorCNDA
Al present there Is being nothing done with the
belt OF historic frieze work In rotunda Costa
gini, the artsit has been In Philadelphia Tor some
time, aud II will be . veral weeks before d. re-
suines MS WORK mere. II Is proposed now 10 erase
one VI the pansis that has ueen competed and
substitute ior II another subject. Tue OBJECTION.
abe panel represents the death OF Tecumsen. CO..
DicS JOnnSoa IL no.dlng at uId niuI-luck horse
ps.oi unaet Tue nose OF the 0iah, wno Is recoIi-
lis as ne dill not nHe he smell powder nosre
l. fdlilng villa tue Indian In Father an AWKWARD
heap. nc arcn Iect Of the Capitol has come 10
the CONCLUSION Iiiat the picture does not add "
tue general anectiveness or the work aud more
over, Tue event Is not Important enough 10 De
Adu0c0 uo"n 10 pO>tcrlty Ia tnl, way. Neither IS
IL Known 10 0e true IA II Joansons PISTOL did
Tue work II 10 known only that the Ialuous In
dian Was killed in Iuat patlie.
luis sceue via DC Replaced oy one representing
the nrst settlement OF the great Northwest terri
Tory IL VIII We court scene VI broader character
Win group VI Indians IN the BACKGROUND walcu.
M via WOnJer auI IOreOOulnx, tIe planting or
CIVILIZATION on their terutory. THIS IS reg arded as
much more suitable subject for a historic panel
a. IL maj ks iuVsl npOr Dant step In develop.
uiruI vi Tie Vast weailn and Jurces the coun.
lIy, aNQ was turning point In the nations his
10Y. IL mas Deem definitely decided th.t the con.
cudng sceneoI Tue oeIL Will represent the driving
Oh Tue last NALL Ia the Com eIlon VI the Union Pa.
cuc Railroad, unlllLg Lue Coasts o. tue cOnIineut
Sen- Grant wa, present at Tue ceremony, aud nj,
features, together villa those OF sUme vlner piomi
nent men, Viii be inc.u1ed 10 the group.
An Elaborate German Practical Joke.
From the Pail NAL Gazette.
professor Baldwin Is great, but one who Is
greater tnan he mas, few days ago. descended
from the clouds in q Lite North German VILLAGE
de came with the light OF noon as q background
70 MS awiui ngure, slowly sailing turou. "a the
eastern skies makIng AIS way sLralXnt Tor the
'lIiage 10 question: tie was tall anu sturdy, his
hideous Ooiy beng black al mitn.ynt, while his
eyes dnd ups were white, nis ears Of sulpnurous
yeiiOw, and ais long horns ami tan VI q
burning red One OF hIs hands was raised as
IL he we're about to strike the inoNensive
cnurca steepie. No wonder that the Villagers
We're snIlten win lear and tremb,ins, and
Oekdn To Iulnk that The CAV OF fudvmenI