Evening star., 1917-09-16

NE of these fine days the gov
n " ernment is going to finish the
III ~ United States Capitol, if
" Charles Aver Whipple, New
York artist, has his way.
Finished already, you say?
Not quite All except a few feet of
frieze work in the rotunda- TINS Is
blank and has been ever since 'he
famous and much-beloved Constantine
Brumidi the Greek artist, who did SO
much mural decorating in the Capltoi'
fell from a scaffold in the rotunda IN
1880 while working on the frieze- he
was not killed by the fall. Waterman
rescuing him as he clung to the scaf-
folding but he never resumed work
on the decoration.
Filippo Costa aggini, another artlst'
took some of Brumidis designs ana
started to complete the work, put Con
eress wrangled about what the last de-
sign should be and it never was COM
pleted.
Then. for many years. there was no
sign of activity on the frleze, Whlch
extends almost around the enormous
rotunda, seventy-five feet above the
floor The old scaffolding from which
Brumidi fell clung like the running
gears of a mountain wagon to the
wall and Capitol guides told remark
able stories of the famous painter VINO
died ere his work was done, pointing
the while to the scaffolding. but even
tually the boards were removed, and TOT
a long time nothing but the plank
spsce was in sight to attract the eye.
Came. then, the other day, Artlst
whipple. who wants to nnish the iet Jot
from the point where Costaggini le1t
off. He has received permission 10
place his designs on the wall in such
manner that if they are not suitaoie
they can be removed. Ana. neihs
true artist. he is going ahead TO COM
plete the circle of painting and take
chance on Congress, with a more or
less artist eye. to approve his work. i.
Not that Mr.. Whipple cannot paint.
nor that Congress cannot Judge, IL Is
merely a matter of Congress being
little fnicky about proposed pictures to
go into this frieZe. Congresses win
out number have talked about finishing
the work but it still is undone all be-
cause they could not agree on the
scenes. which must be historical of the
new world. that they want depicted
Brumidrs original idea was to have
the frieze represent different historical
epochs in the history of the country
from the landing of Columbus up to
any modern period desired by Congress.
Painting around the huge belt. he de-
picted the landing of Columbus: the
entry of Cortez into the halls of the
Montezumas in 1921: the conquest of
Peru by Pizarro in 1888; burial OF De
Soto in the Mississippi river at mid
night in l541: Pochahontas saving the
life of John Smith in 1906: landing OF
the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1920. and
william PENIS treaty of peace with
the Indians in 1857
f,ic fotIr n
Penn. Brumidi fell and, a few months
later. in February, 1850. died, partly
due. it was thought, to the shock he
sustained.
Followed then the work of Costag
gini. Taking up Brumidfs designs. he
began finishing the frieze. Costagglnis
first figure is Just to the right OF Will
liam Penn. 1t is not difficult to DIS
tinguish between the work of the two
artists. Brumidi was far and away the
more skilled. His figures are notable
for their fullness of frame and life
like appearance. while Costagginfs are
fat, almost on the order of the famous
French motion picture figures that
used to abound. the kind where
merry gentlemen, looking like the full
figures in the Il eat at the Gem cafe"
advertisements suddenly fattened out
into a roll of wallpaper.
In regular order Costaggini painted
the following scenes: Treaty of Peace
Between Gov Oglethorpe of Georgia
and the Indians. 1892; Battle of Lex
ington. 1875: Reading of the Declara-
ton of independence, 1875; Surrender
of Lord CORVALLIS at Yorktown, 1871; !;
Death of Tecumseh. 1913; Entry of Gen.
Scott into the City of Mexico in 1847,
and the Discovery Of Gold in Califor-
MIA in 1S4S.
Brumidis designs having been ex-
hausted. work was stopped. but Co.'S
taggini had ambitious plans of his own,
which, however. were not to be real