Senate Corridor Paint Analysis—Private

The Senate Connecting Corridor of the U.S. Capitol was constructed by Thomas U. Walter between 1852 and 1859. The corridor is one of several that were decorated by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi beginning in 1857 and continuing through the 1870s.

Our conservators were brought in by the Architect of the Capitol (AoC) to complete paint analysis studies of the heavily over-painted and repaired walls and ceiling of the corridor. The investigation confirmed that the original decoration consisted in trompe l’oeil architectural features, enlivened with rondels, in soft tones consistent with other, previously studied walls. We developed a recommended color palette and board illustrating the original layout of the designs. We additionally prepared mock ups of the original designs to demonstrate the appearance after completion of restoration of the room.