The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-01
Belated Recognition
IRr Smith I ID Fry j

4
provide for artistic completion of the
historical fresco-frieze work in the ro-
tunda Of the capitol building in Wash
ington.
The joint resolution has been intro
duced by Representative Addison r.
Smith, of the state of Idaho.
This member Of congress has oc-
capicd important, positions in and
about the capitol for more than TWEEN
ty years; and he knows the capitol
building as only one can know it by
many years of experience.
BY the Introduction OF the joint /
resolution the capable and expert
enced congressman is paving the way
for belated recognition to one of the
most versatile artists this world has t
known The wonderful historical
fresco-frieze work in the capitol was
done by Constantine Burmidi, when he
was nearing the close Of his useful
life.
the American congress a man who
knows, and knows how to bring forth
the facts concerning the long-neglect-
ed and ever unappreciated work of
Brumid.
Constantine Brumidi was the favor
lite artist of Pope Plus TX, and under
his direction Brumidi restored great
'loggia which had been originally dec
GRATED by the matchless Raphael.
All of the money in America could
the vatican library, but because Of a
domestic tragedy, the versatile artist
threw away his brush, and his great
and budding career, and became
irevolutionist When his life was for
feited his friend Pope Plus TX Sc
cured change of sentence for him, to
Punishment. Thus, without money
and without price the great artist
went from Rome to America, and be-
came the decorator of the capitol build
ling, where he worked almost constant
lly for a period of we'll nigh thirty
years; and the greater part of the
| time for day wages, 80 little was he
understood or appreciated.
Brumidi died almost forty years
ago, and his works have been utterly
| ignored: and even the official guides
OF the capitol have not shown his
great works, until very recently a
couple of them have been led to study
and try to comprehend what Brumidi
! has done for the new world, where art
is little known and less appreciated.
Brumidi's last work was fresco-
1 frieze of American history three hun
Idred feet. in extent, encircling the ro-
4 tunda dome. Brumidi was his own
! designer, and if he had done the de-
signing alone for the enormous
amount OF work Witch he accomplish
ed he would havs been entitled to a
niche in the temple of fame.
4 Brumidi was not great in any one
line: for he did not specialize. But he
was near great inralf lines. and the
capitol walls show versatility equal
to that of Leonardo Da Vinci, if not
eXcelling even that marvellous genius
When Brumidi died, with his fresco
II
another artist was secured to take
his sketches and finish the work; but
visitors see the marked difference be
{. tween the work of the matchless
! Brumidi, and that of his successor;
. for the latter did not seem to know
I plaster, and his back ground seems te
have greatly faded while Brumidi's
work is changeless, and as fresh as
when placed there by the hands of the
, master.
The north side of the rotunda shows
i, Brumidi's great fresco work, the can
opy of the dome, near by, shows up
wards of five thousand square feet o
pure Romanesque work. by the sam,
genius.
. corridors Brumidi has shown sucl
: versatility that one cannot believe i
!, to have been possible for one man t
:. have conceived it ALL unless one see
: and studies it.
:, Not only was Brumidi, master 0
= plain fresco. and of Romanesque ART
> but of every conceivable style. o.
q the ground floor the corridor wall
Y are the Medallion corridor, the Moor
u ish corridor, the Pompeiian corridor
y the Patent corridor, and a great back
y ground of an unfinished corrido
g which no artist has attempted to CON
~ plete.
1t On those walls are medallions of til
heroes Of the revolution, and so pei
fectly do they show Brumidi's mas
cry of color and shade, that visitor
a are constrained to feel the medallion
II with their gloved hands before belie'
II. ing that they are not in bas relief.
Here Brumidi shows his versatilit