The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-04

lea. It is that sculptured painting OF
which Longfeilow. in his Michael An
gelo.' has said:
I oft have said
That account that painting as the best
Which most resembles sculpture. Here
before us we have the proof
Behold those rounded limbs
How from the canvas they detach them
TIL they deceive the eye, and one would
say
It is a statue with a screen behind Il.
And those who have been fortunate
enough TO study that part Of the ro-
tunda frieze which Brumidi executed
know with what consummate skill Bru-
midi caused the figures to detach them
selves from the background and stand
out in bold relief
Difficult 10 Reach.
The belt upon which the frieze is
painted Is 100 feet from the floor and
go feet in circumference. When Brumldf
began work upon the frieze he was sew
enty-three years Old and ne himself
planned and assisted in rigging the scar-
fold. a sliding affair. from which he
would work. This scano,ding the artist
reached by means OF the spiral stair
way leading to the dome. The stairway
passed balustrade a number Of feet
above the frieze. and this the aged artist
would scale and then descend a ladder TO
the slender sconolding that chung like a
huge tarantula to the side OF the wall.
But gradually his age and the dizzy
height az which he was forced to seek his
palette began 10 tell upon him, so a
wooden cage with a chair inside was
devised. and in this each morning the
artist, grown silver-haired and weary On
the service OF hts adopted country, would
seat himself and by a system Of pulleys
be hoisted 20 what he termed his shop"
He was drawn up at 10 in the morning
and brought down again at I'm the
afternoon. and it was the event Of the
day when. his labors suspended, he would
seat himself in the cage and be carefully
let down TO the rotunda floor. Visitors
informed IN advance OF the time OF the
descent would be on hand. Senator's and
Representatives. many OF them personal
friends Of BrumidFs. would also be in the
rotunda, following with anxious eyes the
slowly moving guide ropes. and a sigh OF
relief went up from the watchers as the
cage safely reached the brown 1agstone
floor.
Ready TO Answer Questions.
Brumidi had the usual reserve OF the
true artist, and intensely disliked any
thing that bOrdered upon the spectacular
But his cordial and charming manners
always came 10 the rescue as he ac-
knOwledged the greetings OF the inter-
ested and curious and answered the ques-
tons directed to him about his work
Brumidi was taken III In January. 1850
Shortly before that time he had had a
partial fall from the scaffold and the
shock was too much for him. A watch
man in the dome. who had been gazing
down, saw him suddenly lose his balance,
pitch forward. and desperately clutch
a ladder which was attached to the scat
fold. Brumdi hung on for his life, while
the Waterman. shouting encouragement.
sprang down the stairway and succeeded
in reaching the artist just as his strength
gave out. Brumidi was hurriedly placed
in the cage and lowered. The physician
summoned ordered Brumidi home. and
the artist never afterwards left his house.
He worked daily upon the frieze cartoons.
and it was his constant desire to be al
lowed 10 sufficiently recover to complete
the belt He wanted with his own hands
to leave that historical procession around
the dome until the encircllng frieze should
be complete.
Knew End Was Near.
1t was not to be; other hands than
Brumidrs would apply his beloved car
toons and bring into bold relief the sub
ject figures Toward the end he realized
that he would never again apply the
brush He gradually abandoned hope.
and contented himself with eniarging
the original cartoons so that another
artist might complete the work by follow
ing copy.
Constantio Brumidi died February 10. !
1880. after having spent more than thirty |
years at work on the Capitol, and given |
to his adopted country designs that can |
never be duplicated. and real fresco work |
that will, in all probability, never be I
equaled Following Brumldrs death FIJI !
lppo Costagini. an Italian, was engaged TO /
the frieze Brumidrs cartoons /
and designs were promptly appropriated I
and his family were never even compen-
stated for the time, the thought. the labor
that artist had given them.
Perhaps the canopy in the rotunda Is |
glory enough to Brumidis lasting fame.