The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1895-09-19
pnuMrpr's MARINE eHorr.

bhl MIN
can gaze upon the enormous paintings
in the capitol rotunda without amaze
ment, and without a twingc OF shame
for our new republic. They are i'm
mense, as to size, but of pigmy merit.
Their subjects are we'll chosen, and the
intentions of the artists were no doubt
good; but the achievements are un-
worthy the place, In one of the pic
lures two ladies are represented as hav-
ing five hands, and one of those hands
has five fingers and a thumb. The
paintings could not place even
for temporary exhibition in any Paris
ian salon; unless. maybe, they might
have place as curioS from the new
world. They lack artistic merit most
woefully. 1t is to be hoped hat the time
Is not far distant when they may be re-
moved and the inches filed with paint
ings which will adorn and beautify the
wonderful work of the architect of the
capitol.
The historic frcscn zone which was
begun by the great Brumidi half way
up the dome has been continued by
Costagini; but it should not be con-
cluded by him. The work of Brumidi
is so near perfection that the iigares
seem much like ~statuary; end many I'M
tutored eyes believe the enc there
depicted are carved from the solid rock.
But Brumidi died when the zone was
but half done, and the subsequent
work of Costagini is painfully less mer-
itorious. For example, the stecd be-
strobe by Gen. Scott in the Mexican
scene reminds me of the little school
boys definition: "A horse is square
built. having one leg at each corner
Moreover, this charger appears TO be
about two feet longer than any horse
that ever lived. Besides, he has a lean
and hungry look, which i'll becomes
the war-horse of the general command
ing the army. Then the reading of the
Declaration of Independence is n pic
ture which almost makes n patriot wish
that il had never been read. The big
fat Quaker who holds the document
stands upon II very shaSy platform,
The calves of his legs are 50 unnatural
as to make one fear that he has vari-
cose veins, and his thighs from knee to
hip are long enough for Goliath of
Gath. He is a pitiable d%cformity. The
entire work should be committed to a
superior artist, TO be rctouchcd skill
fully or else erased and rcpainted.
The statrGry in thc -, inches Of the
rotuoiP may be rcg@;ded a. crcdita-
bic, but II it were busted and cleaned
at least INC in twenty or thirty years
n marked Improvement would be APP
parent. On the east front, on either
side OF the main entrance to the rotun-
la, are marble statues Of Mars and
Minerva. They are all right from an
artistic point of view. But Mars has
not had his face washed since the days
OF Julius Cesar, while the shoulders
and breast of Minerva arc so dusty as
to suggest the thought that she has no
friends In this new world. She looks
like an unlkempt Bowcry beauty.
The capitol building, of which the
rotunda is the center, is unquestion-
ably the noblest, graudcst and most
beautiful architectural object in the
world. This is'a fact conceded by men
who have travelled extensively. Every
nan Of culture I'D experience who
comes here ho-l E,rope ,5nccdcs that
the capitol is superior TO any building
in any city in the civilized world.
Therefore it is TO be regretted the more
deeply tina. the architecture is not
supplemented with more excellent
masterpieces Of painting, plastic and
graphic art. The ralls, ceilings, cor
ridors and committee rooms of the SEN
ate are all artistically touched by the
magic brush of Brumidi. The canopy
Of the dome is one of the most worthy
works of that great artist. Surely the
work shonld not be stopped forever nor
continued by daubers, because that one
nan fell before the sickle of Tine, full
of years ard of honors.
Because of ignorance in high places,
no artistic hand has guided the growth
of the city. There has been no system
in the erection of public buildings. The
city has unrivalcd architectural mag
%nilcence, mainly because the original
designer planned SO well that careless
generations of subsequent years could
not wander far away from the beauty
and symmetry which he marked with
unerring accuracy. Unless the archi-
tects Of the country take universal in
terest in the growth of the capital city
It's artistic splendor may be married by
official earelcssncss or incapacity in the
near future; for many public buildings
must yet be erected. The selection OF
sites for them should not be left tn the
shuttle cock imbecility of congressional
committees and corrupt Hobbies.
For six years money has been avail,
able in the treasury for the erection OF
new government printing office.
Every year congressional committees
have considered the selection OF a site,
but lobbyists employed by real estate
owners have fought and scrambled
over the matter. and no site has beer
selected. IL never occurs I o the states
men that a great public building should
be located with "a view Of its artist,
relation with other buildings of Xix,
character in the realization Of the tru.