Evening star., 1924-07-13
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

Complaint has been made that "A
soap-and-bucket brigade is scrubbing
the paint OF the eight historic can
vases in the rotunda of the Capitol"
These great paintings are being fresh
ened up. and the once Of David Lynn.
architect of the Capitol. Is not dis
turbed by the complaint. 1t 10 ex-
planned that the work 10 being done
under the direction and personal SUI
pervision of Charles E. Fairman, who
for more than fifteen years has given
expert care to the works of. art in the
Capitol, and OF Charles Moberly, who
for more than a quarter Of a century
has done some of the best mural dec
Grating in the Capitol. and before that
helped to decorate the Congressional
Library, second only to the Vatican
as the most beautiful building in the
world.
Four of these great paintings in the
rotunda, which always claim the at
tention Of the thousands of tourists
who swarm daily through the huild-
ing, are by John Tfumbull-"Sisning
the Declaration of Independence"
SURE sursendsr ~ & OF Gen; NJ! Bursoyns;" Sur
ton ResisninE His Commission" The
others are: "Embarkation Of the Pill
grims," by Robert W. Weir; Landing
Of Columbus" by John vanderlyn: !:
Discovery I,,,,s, Of the Mississippi" by
ofPocahontas." by John G. Chapman.
John Trumbulls was a native OF Con-
necticut I756-1s43). He was a his
tory and genre painter. He served in
the war Of independence. In 1775 he
was aide -de-eamp to Washington and
In l776 was deputy adjutant general
under Gates. He retired from the
service in 1777 with the rank of colo
mel. He went to London in 1880 to
study under the noted Benjamin west,
was Imprisoned for eight months and
elusion Of peace he went back to
England and resumed his studies,
His Battle Of Bunker Hill," painted
IN 1885, was the first Of a series Of
ms historical n a. paintings illustrating the
were engraved. He returned to the
United States in 1889.
Col. Trumbull accompanied Mr.. Jay
to England In 1894 as secretary OF Ie-
cation and continued several years
In England in 18o8-1s15. It was from
1917 to 1924 that he was engaged in
painting the four great canvases for
the rotunda of the Capitol that are
now being frightened up. He re-
celved $4,000 for each Of these his
O.
Col! Trumbull was president of the
Academy OF Fine Arts in New York
from 1916 to 1925. A collection of
his paintings is in the art gallery
or Yale University. An interesting
letter from the artist stating in de-
tail the steps taken toward the pres
ervation OF the paintings in the ro-
tunda was read in the House of Rep
resentatives December 8. 1925
x *A+
John Vanderlyn, besides paintine
'rhe Landing of Columbus" which
nts large wall panel in the rotunda.
also painted the full-length portrait
or Washington in the House chamber.
He was a native Of Kingston, N. Y, a
pupil OF Gilbert Stuart and a friend
and protege Of Aaron Burr. He was
awarded a medal in Paris in 1903 for
MS Ma1us Among the Ruins of Car
image. Besides that Of washine eton
his portraits include Monroe. Madi,
son, Calhoun. Clinton, Zachary Taylor
ana n other distfnguished men. His
Adriane in NaHos" is owned by the
pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
A portrait OF this artist. painted nv
himself, is owned by the Metropolitan
museum. Vanderlyn made urlfortu-
na.e ventures late in life and died
native town. He received $4,000 for
MS Landing Of Columbus" and $4,000
LOT LOT MS full-length portrait of George
Washington.
The Landing Of Columbus" hy
Robert W. Weir, has attracted atten.
ton and admiration of art students
from all over the world. Weir was
born in New Rochelle, N. Y. He was
pupil of Jarvis and studied at Flor
ence. Italy. under Benvenuti and a,so
in Rome.
He became a professional painter
at the age of twenty. In 1925 whAn
lass than twenty-six years of age. he
became a member Of the National
academy of Designs, and three wears
later was made professor of drawirs z
n W., tne Nat. National Military Academy at
him for more than forty years. ~
among his best works are: "The
Bourbons' Last March," Landing Of
Henry Hudson" Indian Captiyes"a "
v.1I Snrast i and Nieodemus," Taking the
Portico Of the Palace Of octayia h.
Rome.; Our Lord on the Mount OF
Henry Clay" ' 0"'on OF
| His "Embarkation OF the Pilgrims. ~
IN the rotunda Of the Capitol, Tor
| which he received 10000, was in iured
| curing the building Of the new DONE
Frof. Weir repaired this injury IN
| 1881, having a special detail from the
| war department for this purpose.
John G. Chapman, who pa;nt.d ~.
Baptism Of Pocahontas," which, ac.
cordins to the complaint being made
has suffered the most under the
cleanup process. was an aImos,
Washingtonian. having been born
hard by TN Alexandria, Va. He wa,
paid $4,000 for that painting.
chapman studied for some time In
ItGy' alterward painted in New York
Century Club. He was elected a ful'
member of the Academy of Design in
| 1885, When he was twenty-eikht years
olo. He was interested in wood en-.
Sravins ana became a teacher of this
prancn or art. He was also m etcher
OF note and produced many etching,
from original designs, among then
being: Return From the Vintage
"A Monk Asking Aims" italian
Goatherds, The Cleaner" "A View
% on the Campagna" and "Maswaddoz
| Mr.. Chapman furnished the illus.
trations for Harper's Bible, and wa.
the author OF a drawing book said tc
De the best OF its kind in the English
language; and which passed through
and in Great Britain.
| Among his paintings are Sunset or
the Campagna," 'Etruscan Girl
Vintage Scene" Last Arrow" and
| Valley Of Mexico"
These large paintings for the panel,