Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-21
The Capitol's Artist
by Frederic J. Haskin


Washington, -. C., Jan fs.-The fact
IS not generally known that Congress has
an artist. He is officially known az the
Designer of the Bureau of Painting,
under Elliott Woods, who has charge OF
all the governments buildings and grounds
In the District.
This artist, MIR. Moberly, is a versatile
man, and he has to he. Everything that
anyone connected with the capitol wants
done in the way Of art, design or painting
IL devolvcs upon Moberly to do. Ills
duties range from such difficult artistic
feats as restoring one of the famous
Brumidi frescoeS, when IL has been
practically destroyed by fire. 10 the max
ing oil a giant map Of u harbor for some
congressman to use ON the floor of the
house in pressing his claim for an appro-
priation.
A VERSATILE MAN
Moberly made an appointment the
other day TO meet a reporter opposite
the room of the Joint Committee ON
printing, where he was painting a panel.
but when the time came he was not there
He had left directions that he would
be in his shop in the basement There he
was found executing . realistic likeness
Of an automobile license for some clerk
who had lost has In about five minutes
he did q lifc-sizc portrait Of II District
license tag. whirh would have fooled
my cop in the country IIe was rewarded
with n handful of cigars. which be shared
with his interviewer, which shows that
Noherly Is not only a versatile artist.
but also a generous and oblIgIng one
The greater part Of M0borvs work
consists in caring for al nf the painted
decorations in the capitol building The
magnitude and variety Of this Job Won
would never realize unless ypu could
accompany Mobcrly on n tour nf the
building Not only ore there Il great
many oil paintings hung in the building
but almost every square yard of every
wall on every floor above the basement *
IN some way decorated either with a
design or 4 mural painting or gill
fnoldlng 1t Is probably no exaggcration
"a say that there are acres of decorations
IN the capitol building. all of which arc
more or less subject - injury ~ time,
moisture. or vlolencr For example,
when, few years ago, some crank set
of n bomb in one of the corridors and
wrecked q couple If walls tho principal
thing That ho accomplished was the
destruction If . hundred or 50 square
,
Brumid. which II took Mohcrly many
weeks to rerlace Il Is striking proof
Of his familiarity with every inch If this
great building that he was able to repro
duce the Brumid pictures from memory
III such a way that 4 very close inspection
y necessary 10 detect whore BTWnidis
work ends and hoberly's begins lie
believes TINT the duty If = restorer Is not
to express ms own ideas. but - pl!t hiTn-
self III the mental boots of the original
artist and to try to do What that artist
was trying 10 do feat which requires
imagination and sympathy as wciI rs
artistic skill.
Mobcrly IS peculiarly qualified for fls
job both hy training and by ambition.
tie comes Of q Inc Of painters and mnsl-
Clans His father and hrs father father
followed 10th Of these professions. and he
has followed both lie describes himself
Ms a painter taught III the old school He
explains that IN the old DAYS b man who
expected to live by painting could not
afford 10 specialize ~ the modern artist
does, blf had to be capable of dong ail
.orts Of jobs. He also had to be able to
INK and grind his own coiors. and had to
understand he chemistry IF his pigments.
In this school Of versatility Moberly was
trained. and the training has been snvaiu-
bic To him in his work n Fhe capitol For
the frcscocs and mural paintings Of that
building are done b. no less than three
different methods Some of them arc
lime paintings, 50 called, IN when the
color IS put upon wet plaster, and allowed
to soak in; some are water eclors and some
are OILS 4 knowledge Of the chemistry
Of these three different methods Is
naturally Indispensable - the man who
has 70 keep the paintings n good order.
WORKED on LIBRARY.
When he vas nine years old, Moberiy
came to v ashington. and he saw the great
Italian artist. Brumidi, At work III the
capitol He was impressed by the TN
ness of his work. and BY the greatness OF
the capitol a. national monument, and
ha made up hrs mind, - get . job n
capitol artist lie worked for time with
has father and then went away and became
a decorator He worked in New York
and Pennsylvania At the time when men
were making great and sudden fortunes N
the oil business. and many interiors OF
splendid residences did he decorate for
newly-made milhon8ires One Of his jobs
WAS the decorating of a private car. which
cost St. ,0OO. and which the president OF
the Lake Ere railroad had made for has
wife
" hen he had finished his apprentice
ship, he came back to v 4Shlngton.