A capitol discovery captures Idaho history
—Photo courtesy U.S. Senate Assistant Capitol Curator Amy Burton and U.S. Sen. Jim Risch showcase a book containing the watercolor image of the Old Mission in Cataldo that Capitol artist Constantino Brumidi painted into a fresco in the mid-1800s. Burton recently discovered the connection between North Idaho and the Capitol and will be visiting the Mission with Risch for a commemoration event Friday.
Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol This mid-19th-century wildlife fresco is a scene that artist Constantino Brumidi painted on a wall of the U.S. Capitol Building. It is derived from a watercolor of the Cataldo Mission that was painted by John Mix Stanley on a railroad expedition.
Courtesy of Yale University Art Gallery Watercolor artist John Mix Stanley created this image of the Old Mission in Cataldo in the mid-1800s while on a railroad expedition. The painting was turned into a fresco by artist Constantino Brumidi and immortalized on the walls of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
CATALDO — A piece of Idaho history has been on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for more than 150 years, but it wasn't until recently that anyone realized it.
A fresco by famed artist Constantino Brumidi is actually a landscape scene of Idaho's longest-standing building — the Old Mission in Cataldo. The fresco is a part of the Capitol's Brumidi Corridors, a beautifully decorated and artistically designed wing on the Senate side of the building in Washington, D.C.
"When the discovery was made, the first thing I did was contact my husband and he said, 'This is something I've got to see,'" U.S. Sen. Jim Risch's wife, Vicki, said in a phone interview Monday.
The discovery originally occurred in 2013 when assistant Capitol Curator Amy Burton was poring through thousands of books and documents while conducting research to write her own book about restorative work in the Capitol. She was investigating where Brumidi got his inspiration when she happened upon old drawings and paintings from railroad expeditions to the West. The original watercolor was painted by John Mix Stanley around 1854, turned into a lithograph, published in the Pacific Rail-road Report Volume 12 and chosen by Brumidi as a scene to include in a series of eight wildlife oval "medallions" he painted in the Capitol.
Vicki said she and the senator learned of the discovery earlier this year.
"She said, 'We have identified this landscape as a scene from Idaho,'" Vicki said of Burton's findings. "Of course I was very excited about that."
To celebrate this extraordinary historic discovery, Sen. Risch, Burton and others will commemorate the Old Mission at 9 a.m. Friday at the Old Mission State Park. It will be recognized as Idaho's oldest building and as a landmark with connections to the U.S. Capitol. The commemoration will include the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation as well as local and state historic societies. Members of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe will offer remarks, a blessing and drumming by the Rose Creek Singers.
"The Mission is a very important part of tribal history and culture," said Sid Smith, North Idaho regional director for Sen. Risch. "They've been working with us and we're excited to have them there as well."
Smith, who grew up in North Idaho, said one exciting aspect is that of all the frescoes of expedition scenes, the image of the Old Mission and surrounding area is the only one that includes a building that is still standing.
"Cataldo is a place we always learned about as kids learning fourth grade state history, so it's something that is engrained in us as children growing up in Idaho," Smith said.
"We're very proud to have the oldest standing building in Idaho so nearby, but to have this added wrinkle brought to our attention makes it that much more exciting. We're really looking forward to learning more about what transpired to have that painting immortalized on the walls of the Capitol in the Senate."
Burton will be giving a presentation on her discovery, the watercolor and the fresco at today’s commemoration event.
The Old Mission, also known as Cataldo Mission or the Mission of the Sacred Heart, was built between 1850-1853 by Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. It is located at Old Mission State Park, 31732 S. Mission Road.