Another entry in the church diary of interest to us here is dated February 19, 1880, “Father Sestini came in the evening in response to a letter sent him by Mr. Brumidi’s adopted son, telling him that his master was dying and wished him present but Father Sestini was too late as he (Mr. Brumidi) had already died in the morning. The eminent artist and Father Sestini are intimate friends and it was through their united efforts that St. Aloysius Church received the beautiful pictures it now possesses. Though Mr. Brumidi was not always a practicing Catholic he was induced to practice his religious duties during the last year of his life by Father Sestini. May he rest in peace.”
The author was able to identify in St. Stephen’s Church in New York, another Brumidi painting—a life-size portrait of the Christ, displayed in a gilded frame. St. Stephen’s had no written record and no word-of-mouth record that this outstanding portrait had been done by Brumidi but always the painting had occupied a choice location in the church because of its strength and beauty. One of the little photographs of religious groupings saved by Lola Germon in her old album of memories served as identification for the New York portrait to the satisfaction of the author and to the surprise and gratification of the pastor.
THE BRUMIDI DESK
The Brumidi desk was given by the Italian artist to George Strieby at the time of the artist’s death. Mr. Strieby not only was a friend of Brumidi’s but was employed to help the artist with the huge mural in St. Aloysius Church. The desk was cherished by Mr. Strieby and at his death was given to his son, Philip. During the lifetime of Philip the Brumidi desk occupied an honored place in the young Strieby household. At Philip’s death a relative cleaned out the old desk, without the knowledge of Mrs. Strieby, and burned certain of Brumidi’s famous “cartoons” that had been used in making the Capitol frescoes in the President’s Room and which had been stored through the years in the secret compartment of the old artist’s desk. However, Mrs. Philip Strieby continued to watch over the desk with consistent vigilance—out of sentiment for her husband, her father-in-law and Brumidi.
THE CAPITOL DOME
The Dome of the Capitol Building of the United States actually symbolized to Constantino Brumidi “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In return for that liberty and security this Italian refugee dedicated himself in service to his adopted country. He spent the last twenty-five years of his life “making beautiful the Capitol of the one country on earth in which there is Liberty.” His crowning effort was the huge canopy in color—4,664 square feet of concave fresco—covering the inside of the Dome of the Capitol of the country he had learned to love.
It was of great interest to Mrs. Strieby to learn that I had found the name of George W. Strieby listed as “fresco painter” in the two old Time Books in the Architect’s office at the Capitol which books consistently give the earnings both of Strieby and of Brumidi during the last three years of Brumidi’s life—1877, 1878, and 1879. In many instances the Strieby signature followed the Brumidi signature in the old Time Books in spite of an otherwise alphabetical listing of Capitol employees. All of this lends credence to the story of Mrs. Strieby that Philip’s father loved the old artist, helped him through his last hard years, and finally shared responsibility for the burial of Brumidi in Glenwood Cemetery.