About Constantino Brumidi
Born to a Greek father and an Italian mother, Constantino Brumidi had worked for three years in the Vatican under Pope Gregory XVI before sailing to the U.S. in 1849. He became a naturalized citizen in 1852. Here he started painting portraits then moved on to painting frescos for churches and chapels. On a visit to the US Capitol, he was impressed by the vast interior spaces and asked if he could paint them. His work was well liked and he became an official Government painter, spending 25 years painting in the rotunda of the Capitol and hallways in the Senate.
Constantino's Paintings
Constantino's paintings included the Apotheosis of George Washington in the dome, the Frieze of American History, and the The Brumidi Corridors, which are the vaulted, ornately-decorated corridors on the first floor of the Senate wing.
On June 10, 2008, Congress passed (and on September 1, 2008, President George W. Bush signed) Public Law 110-59 (122 Stat. 2430), which (posthumously) awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino Brumidi.
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