Constantino Brumidi, Michelangelo of the United States Capitol

The book traces the life and career of an immigrant muralist who devoted decades to decorating the national Capitol, documenting his frescoes, dome canopy panorama, friezes, oils, and decorative schemes. It recounts his artistic training, exile and arrival in America, naturalization, and the patriotic motives that sustained his persistent labor amid criticism and uneven recognition. The author compiles archival records, contemporary accounts, and institutional inventories to identify individual compositions throughout the building, describes the condition and occasional concealment or loss of works, and urges fuller appreciation and commemoration of the artist’s long-term contribution to the Capitol’s interior decoration.