CHAPTER VII STATUARY AND PAINTINGS IN THE OLD CAPITOL HE need of ornamentation for the Capitol Building was appre- the eagle on the frieze in the House of Representatives. This piece of ciated by its designers from the beginning of the work.1 work met with the hearty approval of Latrobe and others who were Thornton indicated sculptural work on his earliest drawings, familiar with its appearance. August, 1807, a model of the Statue of Lib- and advocated finishing or decorating the interior of the erty by Franzoni was placed between two columns in the colonnade, Tbuilding with foreign marbles. Such treatment was beyond the pecu- over the Speaker’s chair.3 niary capacity of the Government at that period, but as the wings Andrei’s first work was on the capitals in the House of Represent- neared completion under Latrobe we find that he sought the assistance atives. All of the above-mentioned sculptural work was destroyed when of sculptors to do the decorative carving and model the statuary which the British burned the Capitol. When work was again commenced and he thought appropriate to accentuate and ornament the building. the repairs of the building begun, Andrei was sent to Italy, in August, Artists of this character had found no inducement to establish them- 1815, to secure capitals for the Halls of Congress, and at the same time selves in the United States, therefore it was necessary to obtain them he was authorized to engage sculptors who were proficient in modeling from abroad. As the House of Representatives neared completion figures. Andrei probably engaged at this time Francisco Iardella, who Latrobe sent to Italy for sculptors, securing the services of Giuseppe came over in 1816, and Carlo Franzoni, the latter being a brother and Franzoni and Giovanni Andrei, who arrived in this country March 3, the former a cousin of the first Franzoni.4 1806.2 The former was skilled in modeling and chiseling figures, while Giuseppe Franzoni made a model for the clock of the Hall of Rep- the latter was more noted for decorative sculpture, making capitals, resentatives, to be placed over the north door and opposite the panels, and similar ornamental work. The first work of Franzoni was Speaker’s desk, as indicated in Latrobe’s drawing [Plate 61]. This clock consists of the figure of History, recording the events of the nation, 1 For an earlier version of this chapter, see Glenn Brown, “History of the United States passing in a winged car over the globe, on which are inscribed the signs Capitol,” American Architect and Building News 55 (January 2, 1897): 3–6; (February 20, of the zodiac in low relief. The exposed wheel of the car is utilized 1897): 59–60. as the face of the clock [Plate 112]. The figure in this clock was mod- 2 In a letter to John Lenthall dated March 3, 1806, Latrobe mentions that Franzoni eled from Franzoni’s daughter. He died in 1816, before its completion, (1779–1815) and Andrei (1770–1824) arrived in the United States the previous month. This letter and related correspondence concerning their employment as sculptors for the Capitol are reprinted in Charles Fairman, Art and Artists of the Capitol of the United States 3 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1927), 3–8. For information on the work of This statuary was destroyed by the 1814 fire. See AOC, Art in the United States Capi- these and other Italian artists in the Capitol, see Vivian Green Fryd, “The Italian Presence tol (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1978), 412–413. in the United States Capitol,” in Irma B. Jaffe, ed., The Italian Presence in American Art, 4 See Fairman, Art and Artists of the Capitol, 27; Fryd, “The Italian Presence in the 1760–1860 (New York: Fordham University Press, 1989), 132–164. United States Capitol,” 132–164. 214 STATUARY AND PAINTINGS IN THE OLD CAPITOL and the work was completed by Francisco Iardella, who married part of the decorative treatment of the Rotunda. They are suggestive of Mrs. Franzoni.5 some of the classical sculpture which has been modeled on conventional On the north side of the old Supreme Court room, facing what was lines, but the dress of the characters tends to mar the effect evidently formerly the judges’ bench, is a group of figures in high relief, consist- intended by the sculptors. The early guidebooks as well as the majority ing of Justice in the center, with a winged figure on the right calling of later writers usually refer to these panels with ridicule.8 attention to the Constitution, a youth presumably typifying the young Over the western entrance is represented the Preservation of nation, and on the left an eagle guarding the Laws [Plate 113]. The fig- Captain Smith by Pocahontas, by Capellano, a pupil of Canova; over ures in this group are very graceful and pleasing in their modeling and the eastern entrance, the Landing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, poses. This piece of sculpture was probably done by the Franzonis, but by Causici, also a pupil of Canova; over the southern door is the Con- I have not been able to verify their authorship.6 flict between Daniel Boone and the Indians, by Causici, and over the As the Capitol neared completion a larger number of artists were northern entrance is Penn’s Treaty with the Indians, by Gevelot, a needed, and again Italy was the country from which the principal sup- Frenchman [Plate 114]. ply was obtained. In 1823 Enrico Causici and Antonio Capellano, of The other panels have floral wreaths, in which are placed the Italy, and Nicholas Gevelot, of France, commenced work on the Capi- heads of Columbus, Sir Walter Raleigh, La Salle, and Cabot [Plate 98]. tol.7 Capellano and Causici were pupils of Canova. Over the principal Another Italian sculptor, named Valaperti, a man of some prominence entrance doorways in the Rotunda are four panels with the figures in in his profession, according to statements of the period, came to this low relief. The efforts of the sculptors, who had been educated to pro- country during the year 1823 or 1824. He designed the eagle on the frieze duce on classic lines either in the nude or with flowing draperies, show of the south colonnade in the old Hall of Representatives (Statuary Hall) their lack of skill when attempting these historical bits of sculpture, with [Plate 115]. This work was ridiculed to such an extent that the author the figures dressed according to the period which they depict. The fig- was supposed to have drowned himself in chagrin. He disappeared, and ures and grouping are treated in a conventional manner, which shows the eagle was the only piece of work he completed in America.9 the evident training of the sculptors, in an effort to make them simply a 5 Carlo Franzoni, not Giuseppe, created the model for the clock of the Hall of Repre- sentatives. The statuary is located over the north entrance of Statuary Hall. For further 8 For example, see Jonathan Elliot, Historical Sketches of the Ten Miles Square Forming description and historical background on Franzoni’s Car of History, see Fairman, Art and the District of Columbia (Washington: Printed by J. Elliot, Jr., 1830), 115. Describing the Artists of the Capitol, 41–42; and AOC, Art in the United States Capitol, 367. Preservation of Captain Smith by Pocahontas, 1606, Elliot commented, “The face and head- 6 The bas-relief has been documented as Carlo Franzoni’s work and is still located in dress of Pocahontas are somewhat Grecian, and the features of Powhatan are less like an the Old Supreme Court Chamber (S–141). See AOC, Art in the United States Capitol, 291. Indian, than a European.” 7 For a discussion of the work of these sculptors at the Capitol, see Vivian Green Fryd, 9 Giuseppe Valaperti (or Valaperta) arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1815 and com- “The Italian Presence in the United States Capitol,” 132–164; and Fryd, Art and Empire: pleted the sculptural relief eagle in 1816. Fairman, Art and Artists of the Capitol, 129, 452; The Politics of Ethnicity in the United States Capitol, 1815–1860 (New Haven: Yale Univer- AOC, Art in the United States Capitol, 368; I. T. Frary, They Built the Capitol (Richmond: sity Press, 1992). Garrett and Massie, 1940), 125–126; see also RG 40, Subject Files, Curator’s Office, AOC. 215 STATUARY AND PAINTINGS IN THE OLD CAPITOL Above the eagle of Valaperti, resting upon the cornice of the colonnade ure of ‘Hope’ resting on her anchor, with face and right hand uplifted— and in the center of the arch, is a plaster cast of the Statue of Liberty the whole intended to convey that while we cultivate justice we may [Plate 115], by Enrico Causici. On the right of the figure is an altar hope for success. The figures are bold, of 9 feet in height, and gracefully entwined with a serpent. The figure of Liberty is graceful and dignified, drawn by Mr. Luigi Persico, an Italian artist.” 10 Luigi Persico came to and the most satisfactory piece of work left by its sculptor Causici, who this country in 1826, and, in addition to the pieces of sculpture in the died before he was able to put this group in marble. pediment, modeled the heroic figures of Peace and War which stand in In May, 1825, it was determined to hold a competition for the fig- the niches on the eastern portico on each side of the entrance door to ures in the pediment of the eastern or principal portico.