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14 THE CAPITOL DOME SPRING 2014 in 1850 and 1851, to come to New York to decorate new Catholic churches with frescoes. Brumidi also met the American John Norris, who studied for the priesthood in Rome between 1848 and 1851, and hoped to travel to the United States with him. When he came to Washington he would stay with Norris's family and paint their portraits. 26 In 1850 Brumidi undertook his last important Roman commission, the creation of frescoes for the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Archetto, a small church, designed by Virginio Vespignani to honor a miraculous image of the Virgin painted in 1690. Under the dome Brumidi painted an Immaculate Conception (fig. 19A), with the virtues of Wisdom, Prudence, Strength (fig. 20A), and Innocence in the pendentives and cherubs in panels; very similar fig- ures would reappear in the Capitol (fig. 19B), particularly in the virtues in the Senate Reception Room (fig. 20B). Brumidi's talent was praised, and a critic judged that he had reached pictorial effects second only to the great mas- ters of the High Renaissance. 27 Brumidi did not get to attend the dedication of the chapel on May 31, 1851, because on February 4 he was arrested and imprisoned in the Carceri Nuove (New Pris- ons). He was accused of larceny, extortion, and other crimes. In his defense, Brumidi cited the portrait he had painted of Pius IX. He stated that he had refused to join the most extreme and liberal groups of artists. He expressed concern about not being able to paint and to support his family. By April, when these pleadings failed to get him released, he hired a lawyer to defend him. In June, he first asked to be allowed to leave for the United States in order to paint altar pieces and frescoes for churches, as suggested by American Archbishop John Hughes. He complained about his poor health and respiratory problems, which worsened when he was temporarily transferred to an inferior prison. In the fall of 1851, he again requested permission from the secretary of state of the Holy See and the general of the French occupation to leave for the United States to paint for a church. His case f ina lly ca me to tria l in late December. e Vatican records of the Pope's advisory body, the Sacra Consulta, include the accusations against Brumidi as well as numerous testimonials in his favor from priests and even the French militar y. However, on January 2, 1852, he was sentenced to eighteen years in prison. After petitions from the monks who supported him, the sentence was reduced by two-thirds, and a recommen- dation was made to have him carry out his penalty in exile. Finally, on March 20, Pius IX ordered Brumidi released from prison with a full pardon. 28 No doubt convinced that a better future awaited him in the New World, the artist put his affairs in order and sailed for America, arriving in New York on September 18, 1852. 29 is was a year after the cornerstone for the Capitol Extension had been laid; once the walls were up and rooms constructed, the build- ing would be ready for the arrival of a skilled muralist. When Captain Montgomery Meigs, who was in charge of construction and had been searching for some- one to paint frescoes in the Capitol, met the almost-fifty- year-old Ita lian émigré in late December 1854, he described him as "a lively old man." 30 He allowed the artist to demonstrate his skill in the room he was using as an office. e resulting fresco, e Calling of Cincinnatus from the Plow in present-day room H-144, made it clear that Meigs now had at his disposal the talents of a mature and accomplished artist, whom he put on the payroll. Brumidi designed and painted or oversaw the painting of murals in the Capitol almost full-time until 1865, the year he completed e Apotheosis of George Washington in the Rotunda, and he was sporadically hired to work in the Capitol over the rest of his life. At the time of his death in 1880, after having spent a third of his life focused on the Capitol, he had completed part of the Rotunda frieze and was working on the full-size cartoons for the remain- ing scenes. It was fortunate indeed that he had arrived in Washington, D.C., just at the time when the United States Capitol was being expanded with House and Senate extensions and a new dome. Today, the study of Brumidi's conserved work in the Capitol allows us to appreciate the knowledge and skills he brought from Rome. He used his thorough understand- ing of the principles of neoclassical art and amply showed his ability to paint convincing depictions of the human body. He artfully arranged figures in balanced composi- tions across the surface and in space. He almost magically created the illusion of three-dimensional forms on flat surfaces through effects of light and shade. His academic training had given him deep knowledge of classical and Renaissance examples and styles and the ability to make accurate copies. His experience designing for and working in elaborate architectural complexes for powerful people and working with teams of artists and craftsmen served him well, as did his familiarity with a variety of art me- diums and techniques. He also had the flexibility that en- abled him to adapt to his new country and to highlight American symbols and history. Constantino Brumidi's Roman training and experience were indispensable preparation for his accomplishments at the Capitol, and they allowed him to earn a level of accomplishment and recognition that he might never have