The Brumidi Corridors were part of the new wing constructed under
Architect of the Capitol Thomas U. Walter between 1852 and 1859. An
English artist, James Leslie, painted parts of the walls and ceilings of the corridors, including some of the birds and animals copied from specimens borrowed from the
Smithsonian Institution. Leslie also probably painted the
trophies of musical, marine, agricultural, and military implements at the intersection of the north and west corridors and possibly the
monochrome lunettes of trophies near the
refectory. The foreman of the decorative painters was Emmerich Carstens. A variety of techniques were employed in the corridors. Brumidi created the portraits and historical or
allegorical scenes in the semicircular lunettes over the doorways in the difficult true fresco technique. The wall decorations were painted by decorative painters in lime-wash fresco; Brumidi himself probably painted the portraits. The ceilings were painted in
water-soluble tempera, which was then called "distemper." Within the framework of panels framed by
illusionistic
moldings are symmetrical designs of scrolling vines, vases, and mythological figures. Into these classical motifs Brumidi integrated American flora and fauna. On the intricately decorated walls can be seen an amazing variety of
classical gods and goddesses; birds of a hundred different species; rodents, including
chipmunks,
squirrels, and
mice;
insects and
reptiles; and
flowers and
fruits. On the ceilings are landscapes and agricultural implements interspersed among the colorful framework of ornament. The painters of the scenic landscapes and the
impressionist-style oval landscapes in the ceiling are not documented. The subjects of Brumidi's lunettes over the doorways reflect the functions of the committees that met in the rooms between 1873 and 1878 when they were painted. At the end of the west corridor, over the door to S-131, is
Authority Consults the Written Law (39k), whose subject related to the
Senate Committee on the Revision of Laws assigned to the room.
Columbus and the Indian Maiden (41k) and
Bartolomé de Las Casas (40k), who was called the "Apostle of the Indians," were painted over the doors of the
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (S-132 and S-133). Above the present
Senate Appropriations Committee room (S-128), originally occupied by the
Military Affairs Committee, is
Bellona, the Roman
war-goddess (58k). In the ceiling at the north end of the corridor the signs of the
Zodiac appear on fields of blue. Along the walls, Brumidi painted monochrome profile portraits of famous early Americans (
John Hancock,
Francis Hopkinson,
Robert Livingston,
Roger Sherman,
John Jay,
Charles Thomson,
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and
Robert Morris) set in medallions to resemble
reliefs carved in stone. Decorations in the north corridor include colorful
parrots and trophies on the walls near the elevator. Near the stairways at either end of the corridor are pilasters decorated with squirrels and mice. Monochrome medallion portraits of
Revolutionary War leaders (
Daniel Morgan,
Jonathan Trumbull,
Horatio Gates,
Israel Putnam,
Thomas Mifflin,
Silas Deane,
Richard Montgomery,
Joseph Warren,
Thomas Jefferson, and
Benjamin Franklin) are painted along the walls. Modern inventions, such as the airplane, were painted on the ceiling in the early twentieth century. Over S-124, which was then used by the
Senate Committee on Territories, Brumidi painted
The Cession of Louisiana (45k), depicting the meeting of Robert Livingston,
James Monroe, and the
François Barbé-Marbois in 1803. In this area a
bronze bust of
Cordell Hull and a
marble one of Constantino Brumidi by
Jimilu Mason, dedicated in 1967, are displayed. The north entrance retains its original tempera ceiling painted by
Emmerich Carstens in 1875; Brumidi painted the frescoed portraits of jurists
Justice Joseph Story and
Chancellor James Kent, and the imitation sculpture bust of
Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, in 1878. The area below is decorated with birds; medallions hold scenes of animals and landscapes. The profile portraits of
Andrew Jackson,
Henry Clay,
Daniel Webster, and an Adams, perhaps
John Quincy Adams, are different in style and inferior in quality; they are thought to date from the turn of the century. Opposite the entry is a painting of the
USS Constitution copied from a 1924
lithograph. At the east end of the north corridor, over S-118, then occupied by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Brumidi painted
The Signing of the First Treaty of Peace with Great Britain (44k). His depiction of the 1782 event shows
John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin,
John Jay,
Henry Laurens, and the British representative
Richard Oswald and was based on an unfinished sketch by
Benjamin West. On the ceiling plows and other agricultural implements are depicted. The Committee on Patents occupied the room on the east end of the north corridor, now S-116. For the area known as the
Patent Corridor, Brumidi created frescoed lunettes with three important inventors:
John Fitch (47k) (working on his
steamboat model),
Benjamin Franklin (40k), and
Robert Fulton (18k). (Appropriately, Franklin appears over the door of the room then assigned to the
Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads.) On the ceiling are trophies of the arts and sciences. In this area a bronze bust of Cordell Hull and a marble one of Constantino Brumidi by
Jimilu Mason, dedicated in 1967, are displayed. Along the main north–south corridor are 14 oval medallions of landscapes, probably by one of the German decorative painters. In the south corridor eight medallions of animal groups alternate with repeated red, white, and blue shields. In the area leading to the refectory is an original tempera ceiling with illusionistic carved eagles and coffers and trophies of military equipment. Visitors to the Capitol have long been puzzled by the many blank ovals in the corridors. Although intended for pictures, these were left empty when the corridors were being painted in 1858 and 1859 because of restrictions by Congress, which was considering having all fine art in the Capitol approved by an art commission. In the 1870s, Brumidi was hired to paint scenes in many of the empty spaces, but his progress was limited by lack of time and funds. Some of the blank areas in the north corridor have been filled by later artists. Around 1930, an unknown artist portrayed the
Wright Flyer, the
Wright Brothers' airplane, and
Charles Lindbergh's
Spirit of St. Louis. In 1975,
Allyn Cox depicted the
Moon landing. The most recent addition to the corridor is the scene depicting the
Space Shuttle Challenger mission crew, painted by Charles Schmidt in 1987. These last two scenes were painted on
canvas and then applied to the wall. The Brumidi Corridors have always been a high-traffic area and, thus, vulnerable to damage; they were first repaired by Brumidi as early as 1861. In 1897, the backgrounds of the wall decorations were completely repainted in oil by
William H. Duckstein. Aside from constant repainting, the walls were protected with
varnish, which discolors over time, so that gradually the backgrounds turned from creamy white to yellow and the borders from sandstone color to murky green. Brumidi's frescoes were also painted over in oil paint when they became damaged or dark with grime. Major campaigns of retouching and repainting in oil over the frescoes were carried out by
Charles Ayer Whipple (from 1919 to 1927),
Charles Moberly (from 1921 to 1931), and
George B. Matthews (between 1928 and 1935). In some cases, these "restorers" proudly signed and dated their work, which included changing costumes and colors and adding their own details over Brumidi's composition. In the 1950s the walls were retouched and the ceilings repainted under
Francis Cumberland and
Joseph Giacolone and his sons.
Cliff Young also restored the signs of the zodiac in 1980. Between 1985 and 1995, Brumidi's frescoes were cleaned and conserved by professional conservators, including
Bernard Rabin,
Constance Silver,
Catherine Myers, and
Christiana Cunningham-Adams, to reveal his original compositions. Following careful study, the walls of the corridors are being gradually restored to their original colors and details. The pilot phase began in 1996. By 1999, the walls in the
Patent Corridor were brought back to their 1850s appearance. Unstable plaster was consolidated to make it firm, layers of overpaint were painstakingly removed, mainly with sharp
scalpels, and missing details were inpainted. Although a clear protective coating is being applied to the restored murals, they are extremely vulnerable to damage, and care must be taken to make sure that they are not touched or bumped. The plain
sandstone-colored borders and illusionistic shadows around the panels are being replicated to match small uncovered areas of the original. Conservation of the murals continues in the north corridor. No two panels are exactly alike, and new details and delicate colors are coming to light as the murky overpaint is removed. The ornate bronze railing of the stairways used by senators at either end of the north corridor are composed of
cherubs,
eagles, and
deer entwined in leafy
rinceaux that echo the wall decoration. They were designed by Brumidi, sculpted by Edmond Baudin, and cast in
Philadelphia by
Archer, Warner, Miskey & Co. in 1858 and 1859. Cleaning and conservation in 1988 have restored their original antique bronze
patina. The ornately patterned and colored tile floors were manufactured by
Minton, Hollins & Company in
England. They were installed throughout the new extensions between 1856 and 1861. The
encaustic tile, made of inlaid colored clays, was chosen for its beauty, durability, and rich design, which complement the painted decoration of the corridors. ==References==