The Washington times., 1901-12-22
] LII AND RARE ART
IN CAPITOL HALLS.
Corridors and Rooms Full of
Choicest Mural Paintings.
SOME VERY BADLY DEFACED
seldom Regarded u, Nisitors-Samc
of the Best work of Brumidi and
His Assistants in Lead About
Committee Rooms.

admiringly before the flashy mural paint
inEs Oh the walls Of the Library Of Con.
gross building, and ignore. as the majority
/ of them do. the magnificent work of Bru-
midi and his corps of able assistants in
the out-of-the- way corridors of the Cap
itol
Take the walls and ceilings OF the
ground floor passage in the Senate wing.
ami of the various committee rooms
! Why, the paintings in fresco, and oils,
and lime are simply marvels. far ahead
of anything executed in this country
since. And it is safe to say that not more
than one in 10000 OF the every day visitors
to the Capitol ever notice them
ITO be sure. the corridors where these
! paintings are found are badly lighted,
and, in many cases. they have been mall
I treated and mutilated.
Each one among the corps of artists
assisting Brumidi in this work wss
! given certain class OF subjects in which
he eNcelled. For instance. one painted
scroll work only, another devoted him
self to animal painting. another 10 birds,
another TO flowers. and still another to
landscapes. Some bits in oil. notably all
the birds and small insects. are generally
attributed TO Leslie, an American painter
Brumidi the Guiding Spirit.
"Brumidi himself painted all the
figures. heads. and groups, besides direct
ing and overseeing the entire work Moth
ing was done except by his approval, and
all the designs, in drawing as well rs in
color. we're Of his making The designs
are remarkable for the employment Of the
figures of animals, which have lere been
made TO furnish decorative schemes
which, it has been said, may well be
taken as models by succeeding artists.
The decorations of the ceilings Of some
Of the committee rooms are distemper In
this process, unlike fresco, the plaster
is dry when the colors are applied. The
pigments are ground to powder and mixed
with water and glue TO make them adhere
to the wall Unlii5e in fresco, too. 4; is
not necessary for the artist to restrict
himself to the use of mineral colors; the
range OF the palette is the same as in
oils"
Many Of the walls are much marred by
being scrubbed with sand soap; but
fortunately, 1t Is said. the serubbers have
not been so solicitous for the cleanliness
OF Uncle Sans property as to extend their
efforts far above the easy reach OF the
arm. 1t can be stated, therefore, that
the natural anIipathy OF some OF the
colored brethren to strenuous labor, has
been a blessing to the art of the Capitol.
ard saved much Of the painting on the
upper walls and ceilings unimpaired. But
that which has been scrubbed is sadly
mutilated.
Near the northern exit to the terrace.
on the ground floor of the Senate wing
are frescoes OF the great jurlsls, Kent
and Story. Above some Of the committee
room doors. Brumidi has painted seenes
suggestive Of their sometime occupants.
Paintings of Famous Men.
over the door leading to the Committee
on Foreign Relations. which was then de-
voted to Postoffices and Post Roads, is |
Franklin. the father OF the pos
tai system in this country, sea led in hrs !
Above the door. directly op- |
posite, is John Fulton, hard at work upon
his model OF a steamboat.
Above the Committee on Postoifices and |
Post Roads. then the quarters Of the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations, the artist
has painted in fresco the scene Of the /
signing OF preliminary articles OF peace
the United States and Great |
Britain at Paris, November 30, 1852, by |
Richard Oswald on behalf of Great Brit
ain, and by John Adams. Benjamin Frank
lin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens on be-
half of the United States. On the walls
within are medallion portraits of Clay.
Allen, Cameron, and Sumner, former
chairmen OF the committee.
over the door of the room occupied by
he Committee on Territories is a fresco
of the cession of Louisi-
ina 10 the United States by France in
1903. The entrance. walls and ceiling
# the room devoted 10 the Committee
IN Military Affairs are graced by some
If Brumidis good work.
Here are portrayed IN fresco Generals |
and Lafayette In consulta-
ion during the dark days Of Valley /
Forge. the storming Of Stony Point by
Mad Anthony Wayne, the death OF Cen
,ral Wooster at Danbury, Conn; the Bos-
on Massacre Of 1770s and Major Pitcairn
At the battle Of Lexington ordering the
'ebels to disDerse
The panels, in the designs Of which are
worked small arms. are unique and no.
iceably fine. General Logan as chairman
If the committee, many times presided
n this room.
Rich Mural Frcscoes.
The adjoining chamber. which was at
me time the home Of the Committee on
Naval Affairs. is richly decorated, the
roscces on the ceiling representing
Thetis, Venus, Afcphltrite, and America.
he room at the opposite end of the corri-
Tor, formerly occupied by the Committee
N Agriculture and now The headquarters
# the Committee on Indian AfIairs. bears
inc and fruit pieces, with roguish cupids
m its walls and ceiling.
Above its entrance is frescO OF Column
Ius and an Indian maiden. one Of Brumi-
lis most unworthy contributions. Bar
CLONE de Las Casas, the apostle of The
ed man. is pictured on the wall facing
he foot Of the western stairway.
In the room OF the Senate Committee on
,ules hang number OF portraits Of rare
interest. The most attractive of these is
robably the one Of Henry Laurens. Pres
lent OF the American Congress. This
ortrait painted in 1871, was purchased
Or the Government by ;ae Joint Commit
re on the Library.
At the time its purchase was under
Mr. Hoar stated that the
icture was painted by John Singleton
opley in the Tower of London and that |
c thought It ought to be owned by the
government He said that it could be ,
urchased for l.2OO.
On the same wall hangs a portrait OF !
eneral Grant, by Cogswell A unique