National Nuggets: Cox Corridors Part 3 - Introduction

My apologies for the delay between my last post and this one.  I had the privilege of being asked by the First Lady of South Carolina to come to the Governor's Mansion and share with her the contributions made by her Revolutionary ancestor during the American Revolution.  She was also interested in learning more about her family tree.  Since I had asked Katie Hyman to do the research and prepare her application papers as a surprise for Mrs. McMaster, I asked if Katie could come with me and provide her with the family information.  After extensive research on my part, I prepared her a written summary of her Patriot's contributions to independence.  We had a wonderful visit!  Of course, the First Dog, Mac, was excited to see me and wanted me to play with him instead of me visiting with the First Lady.  I had to trick him to go outside with a staff member in order for us to talk!  Silly Mac!

Now, let's get back to learning about the Cox Corridors.  Say good-bye Mac!

Due to our schedules, Congressman Norman could not go to the Cox Corridors following the SC Delegation Prayer Breakfast; therefore, we met in front of the U.S. Capitol the next morning where I had the privilege of teaching him about the Cox Corridors.

The Cox Corridors are a series of elaborately decorated wall and ceiling murals that include historical scenes, portraits, and maps related to the development and growth of the United States in three corridors on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol's House wing.

The Great Experiment Hall of the Cox Corridors

Set within an architectural framework of pilasters, trompe l'oeil classical carvings, and quotations from historical figures, the murals of the Cox Corridors complement those in the Brumidi Corridors in the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol.

One of the Brumidi Corridors in the U.S. Capitol Senate Wing

In 1971, Congress authorized the work on the House wing and asked Allyn Cox to submit a proposal because of his previous work in the Capitol including the completion of the Rotunda frieze in 1953 and the portrait of Henry Clay in the Senate Reception Room in 1959.

Later, he painted the mural depicting of the moon landing in the north Brumidi Corridor in 1975.

Allyn Cox was born in 1896 in New York City.  His father was an eminent muralist, and his mother was a painter.  After studying at the National Academy of Design and at the American Academy in Rome, he began specializing in murals and portraiture.  Cox belonged to various professional organizations and in some served as an instructor, trustee, fellow, or president.

In 1952, Cox was selected to finish the "Frieze of American History" in the Capitol Rotunda begun in 1878 by Constantino Brumidi and continued by Filippo Costaggini after Brumidi's death.  He restored the original portion of the frieze and designed and painted three scenes that filled a gap that had existed since 1889.

I took this picture from the catwalk just above the frieze.

In 1959, Cox restored Brumidi's Apotheosis of George Washington in the eye of the Dome by repainting it.

In 1969, he began research and preliminary sketches for the first of the three corridors now fondly known as the Cox Corridors.  He began painting the first corridor, the Hall of Capitols, in February of 1973 and completed it in July 1974.  The second corridor required the assistance of Cliff Young and was completed shortly before Cox's death in 1982.  Unfortunately Cox passed away prior to work on the third corridor, known as the Westward Expansion corridor.  Cox had already completed the drawing; however, the painting of the corridors was done by Evergreene Painting Studios in 1993 based on Cox's approved design.

The Frieze of American History in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol contains a painted panorama depicting significant events in American history beginning with the landing of Columbus to the discovery of gold in California.  As mentioned earlier, the 19 scenes of the frieze are the work of three artists: Constantino Brumidi, Filippo Costaggini, and Allyn Cox.

Let's begin by learning about learning more about Cox's first major work in the Capitol which gave him the opportunity to paint the House corridors.

Thomas Walter's 1859 cross-section drawing shows relief sculpture, but is was painted in true fresco instead.  This is a difficult and exacting technique in which pigment is applied directly to wet plaster.  As the plaster cures, the colors become part of the wall.  Each section of plaster must be painted the day it is laid.

This picture of the Frieze during recent repair work gives a perspective of its actual height.

The frieze is painted in grisalle, a monochrome of whites and browns that resembles sculpture.  It measures 8 feet 4 inches in height and approximately 300 feet in circumference.  It starts 58 feet above the floor. 

I am standing on the catwalk just above the Frieze to give you a perspective.

Brumidi created a sketch for the Rotunda frieze in 1859 but was not authorized to begin work until 1877.  After enlarging the sketches for the first scene, Brumidi began painting the frieze in 1878 at the age of 73!

As was common in the history books of the day, the Spanish explorers and the Revolutionary War are emphasized. It is said that while working on the figure of William Penn in the scene "William Penn and the Indians," his chair slipped on the scaffold  platform.  He managed to grab a rung of the ladder and hung on for 15 minutes before he was rescued.  He returned the scaffold only once more then worked on enlarging his remaining sketches until his death a few months later in February 1880.

Ironically, Walter had envisioned plain-colored walls hung with a few oil paintings; however, Superintendent of Construction Captain Montgomery C. Meigs directed to carry out an elaborate decorative scheme based on Raphael's Loggia in the Vatican.  Brumidi's classical training in Rome gave him a thorough understanding of ancient Roman, Renaissance, and Baroque styles, symbols, and techniques of wall painting. 

Thomas Ustick Walter, 4th Architect of the U.S. Capitol

The first panel of the frieze, America and History, contains the only allegorical figures in the frieze.  America, wearing a liberty cap, stands in the center with her spear and shield.  To her right sits an Indian maiden with a bow and arrows, representing the untamed American continents.  Also, at America's feet is a female figure representing History, who holds a stone tablet to record events as they occur.  An American eagle perches on a fasces (a bundle of rods symbolizing the authority of government).  The man in the background to their right is in the same pose as the prospector at the end of "Discovery of Gold in California," since Brumidi planned to have this scene connect with his last one.

America and History

The second panel is the Landing of Columbus in 1492.  Christopher Columbus disembarks from the Santa Maria on a plank, greeted by Native Americans.  This is the first of four scenes of Spanish Conquest.  Brumidi's central figure seems to have been inspired by a statue of Columbus by Luigi Persico which was then at the east central steps of the Capitol. 

Landing of Columbus, 1492

The third panel is Cortez and Montezuma at Mexican Temple from 1520.  The Spanish Hernando Cortex, conqueror of Mexico, enters the Aztec temple in 1519.  He is welcomed by Emperor Montezuma II who thought Cortez was a god.  The calendar stone and idols are based on sketches that Brumidi made in Mexico City.

Cortez and Montezuma at Mexican Temple, 1520

Pizarro Going to Peru in 1533 is the fourth panel.  The Spanish conqueror of Peru, Fransisco Pizarro, leading his horse, pushes through the jungle searching for El Dorado, the mythical land of gold.  Pizarro eventually captured he Inca capital, Cuzco.

Pizarro Going to Peru, 1533

Burial of DeSoto in 1542 is the fifth panel.  Spanish explorer hernando DeSoto died of a fever while searching for gold in Florida and the territory north of the Gulf of Mexico.  To protect his body from enemies, his men buried him at night in the Mississippi River which he had been the first European to discover.

Captain Smith and Pocohantas, 1607

 
Pocohontas saves Captain John Smith, one of the founders of Jamestown, Virginia, from being clubbed to death in the sixth panel, Captain Smith and Pocohontas from 1607.  Her father, Chief Powhatan, is seated at the left.  This scene is the first showing English settlement.

The Landing of the Pilgrims, 1620

The Landing of the Pilgrims, 1620 is the seventh in the series.  A group of Pilgrims, led by William Brewster, is shown giving thanks for their safe voyage after their arrival in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Willam Penn and the Indians

William Penn is shown at center with the Delaware Indians at the time of the Treaty of Shackamaxon.  This treaty formalized the purchase of land in Pennsylvania and cemented an amicable relationship between the Quakers and the Indians for almost a hundred years.  This scene is the eighth in the series and was the last one on which Brumidi worked as well as the one that almost took his life.

Colonization of New England

The ninth frieze panel is the Colonization of New England.  Early settlers cut and saw trees and use the lumber to construct a building, possibly a warehouse for their supplies.

Oglethorpe and the Indians, 1732

This is the tenth panel of the frieze and the first one painted by Filippo Costaggini titled Ogelthorpe and the Indians, 1732.  James Oglethorpe, who founded the colony of Georgia and became its first governor, is shown making peace on the site of Savannah with the chief of the Muskogee Indians, who presents a buffalo skin decorated with an eagle, symbol of love and protection.

Battle of Lexington, 1775

The eleventh panel is the Battle of Lexington, 1775.  British troops fire on colonists who had gathered at Lexington to stop them from going on to Concord to destroy a colonial supply depot.  Major Pitcairn, the British officer on horseback, had ordered the colonists to disarm and disperse.  As they began to do so, a single shot was fired, which led to an exchange of fire between a British platoon and the colonial militia.  Eight militiamen were killed and ten wounded before Pitcairn regained control of his troops.  Thus, the American Revolution started with "the shot heard round the world."

Declaration of Independence, 1776

The twelfth scene portrays the Declaration of Independence, 1776.  This idealized depiction shows the principal authors of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, reading the document to colonists.

Surrender of Cornwallis, 1781

The thirteenth scene portrays the Surrender of Cornwallis, 1781.  General George Washington, on horseback, received the sword of surrender from Major General O'Hare, who represented Lord Cornwallis after his defeat at Yorktown, the last battle of the American Revolution.  However, we know that George Washington did not receive the sword of surrender.  He had his second receive the sword from the second of Cornwallis.

Death of Tecumseh, 1813

The Death of Tecumseh, 1813, marks the fourteenth panel.  Tecumseh, a brilliant Indian chief, warrior and orator, is shown being fatally shot by Colonel Johnson at the Battle of the Thames in Upper Canada during the War of 1812.  Tecumseh and his followers joined forces with the British to resist the encroachment of settlers on Indian territory.  With Tecumseh's death, however, the momentum and power of the Indian confederacy was broken.

American Army Entering the City of Mexico, 1847

The American Army Entering the City of Mexico, 1847, is the fifteenth panel.  General Winfield Scott is shown during the Mexican War entering the capital.  Peace came in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which fixed the Mexican-American border at the Rio Grande River and recognized the accession of Texas.  The treaty also extended the boundaries of the United States to the Pacific Ocean.

Discovery of Gold in California, 1848

Discovery of Gold in California, 1848, is the last scene that was designed by Brumidi but painted by Costaggini.  The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill set off the California gold rush of 1849.  In this scene, prospectors dig for gold with picks and shovels and pan for the precious metal.  In the center, three well-dressed men, possibly Sutter and his two friends, carefully examine the contents of a prospector's pan.

Peace at the End of the Civil War, 1865

Peace at the End of the Civil War, 1865 is the first of Cox's three scenes.  One thing I noticed about this panel is its length.  It is not as long as the others.  I can only guess that this is to fit the remaining two scenes proportionately in the frieze.  This scene depicts a Confederate soldier and a Union soldier shaking hands, marking the reunion of the country after the devastation of the Civil War or War Between the States.  A cotton plant and a northern pine symbolizes the South and the North, respectively. 

Naval Gun in the Spanish-American War, 1898

Naval Gun Crew in the Spanish-American War, 1898, is the eighteenth panel.  A gun crew prepares t fire a Naval gun in one of the two great naval battles of the Spanish-American War.  In the course of helping Cuba win independence from Spain, the United States became prominent in world affairs b acquiring a colonial empire (Puerto Rico and Guam) and establishing naval prominence in both oceans.

Birth of Aviation, 1903

The final scene of the frieze is the Birth of Aviation, 1903.  The first flight at Kitty Hawk (December 17, 1903) is depicted with Orville Wright in the Flyer which has just left the ground and Wilbur running alongside to steady the wing.  In the background stand Leonardo da Vinci, Samuel Pierpoint Langley, and Octave Chanute; each holds a model of his earlier design for a flying machine.  An eagle with an olive branch in its talons emphasizes this flight as a great American achievement and closes this last scene.

The next time you are in the Capitol Rotunda be sure to look up and take in the beauty of the work and history of America told through the frieze.