The times., 1899-12-17

room Of the Committee on Postofices, for
merly the quarters Of the Committee on
Foreign Relations the artist has painted
in fresco the scene Of the signing of the
preliminary articles Of peace between the
United States and Great Britain at Paris
November so, 1882.
These pictures are today decidedly map
propriate as may readily be seen. The
entrance to the chamber Of the Committee
on Territories is more appropriately deco
rated, for it has over the door fresco
commemorative OF the Cession OF the Lou
isfna province to the United States in 1903.
The entrance walls and ceiling of the
room devoted to the Committee on Mill airy
Affairs are ornamented by frescoes of
Washington and Lafayette, in cOnsuita-
ton. he storming Of Stony Point by Mad
Anthony Wayne the death OF General
Wooster at DanbuTy. Conn, the Boston
Massacre Of 1T1O and Major Pitcairn at
the battle of Lexington.
The room of the Committee on Naval
Affairs is decorated with fTescoes of mar
velous artistic value. representing Thetls
Venus. AWphitrite and America. In the
room of the Committee on Rules hang a
number Of portraits. The most attractive
/ of these is probably that of Henry Lau-
reus President of the American Congress.
/ All of these rooms have followed the itai-
ian style of fresco and water cOlGrs. This IS
notable in the room Of the Committee on
/ the District of Columbia.
The Senate Chamber has no particular
! style of ornamentation. Whatever beauty
! there is in it, aside from furniture, is OF
/ an architectural kind. The ceilings have
/ been covered with fresco in an effort to
prevent the reflection of sound, but critics
/ declare that the result is, artistically, a
! failure.
Approaching the Rotunda.
Leaving the Senate wing, the visitor
I passes along the main corridor, which is
/ devoid of any decorations, until the ro-
tunda is reached This is the pride and
! great show place of the Capitol. To the
artist there is much that is beautiful in
this place; to the average person it is al
ways pleasing.
The walls of the rotunda, or interior of
the dome, are divided into twelve panels by
| lofty classic pilastars. Isthmian wreaths
ornament the entablature thus supported,
/ The upper section OF the interior which is
! rendered effective in finish by innumerable
caissons or sunkan panels, is crowned by
/ bowl-shaped roof or canopy Beneath
this frsscoed ceiling runs circular landing
/ from which. as well as from the winding
/ stairs where they pass in the ascension the
belt of windows which circles the dome
above the frieze and gives it light, it is pos
/ sible to look down upon the rOtunda. Across
the space, though measuring siXty-hye
feet, whispers can be distinctly heard, the
voice seeming TO come from above and be-
| hind the listeEer.
The decorations of the rotunda are fair
sample of the art of the Capitol. While
much of this is individually fine. it every
where presents a patchwork appearance,
the more meritorious pictures in many in
stances suffering severely by association
with those of little artistic value There
is, the artist declares. a want Of that har-
mony necessary to produce an effect com
mensurate with such an imposing interior.
This is due. in part 10 material changes in
the STYLES of decoration during the growth
of the building and to the fact that some
of the artists have been selected and
others hampered by little brief authority
or by Congressional legislation.
Figures on the Canopy,
The canopy which forms the ceiling OF
the rotunda. was finished by Brumid in
1865. This conception of the artiS ., be-
cause of its great height. was drawn IN
heroic proportions. It represents the be-
atifcation of the spirit of George Wash
ington who is seated in the centre. On
his right sits Freedom and on his lef-.
Victory; while grouped about are thlE-
| teen female figures embiematic OF the
thirteen original States. Around the oase
of the canopy are groups suggestive OF
the spirit of revolution and its resulting
progress. as beheId in the history OF ths
young Republic. Liberty. with shield anc
sword. conquering Royalty, Minerva, Ce'
res, Mercury. Vulcan, and Neptune, are
also represented.
Just before his death Brumidi was
charged with caricaturing in this picture
the leaders OF the Confederacy, because o.
the resemblance by the figures 10 tht
right Of armed Liberty. to jefferson Da
Wis and Alexander H. stephens, and tht
Gen. Robert e. Lee and John B. Floyd
The frieze about seventy-feet from tbs
floor is a fresco Ii is the work of BrG-
midi and Costaggini, and represents scenes
in the history of the New World from the
time Of its discovery, There is yet one
panel in this work to be finished and it re-
mains with the Committee on Library anC
[ Congress TO fill the vacancy.
Around the base OF the rotuBda are large
! paintings representing Washington Re
signing his Commission to Congress, Sur
, render Of Gen. Burgoyne, - Declaration OF
independence in Congress- Baptism OF
e Pocahontas " Discovery of the Missis-
sippi River. The Landing OF Columbus p
j and the "Embarkation of the Pilgrims.
Statues of Lincoln, Jefferson, Baker anC
Hamilton are placed al intervals arOUnC
= | the Totunda
StntuarY Hall.
Passing across this rotunda the yisito.
enters Statuary Hall which contains TWEEN
: ty-seven figures OF eminent Americans
in marble and bronze. Each State in th
Union has the privilege of sendint
n statutes of two of its representative men Il
be placed in this hall The beauty of th
hall is marred however. by a gallery hllet
9 with leather bound dusty looking book
ol a miserable row of shelves.
The decorations of the House are so few
ttat excepting the room occupied by tn