It seems reasonably certain that the Architect of the Capitol and other
friends of Brumidi in the Congress of the United States at the time of
Brumidi’s death wanted the old artist to have every dollar due him for
the Capitol decorations, even to the extent of using the
$200--apparently earlier appropriated for Dome scaffolding
construction--to defray funeral expenses. Then, too, there is one
voucher in the Brumidi voucher collection, dated February 19, 1880, the
day the artist died, “for 13 days’ services as artist at
$10.00--$130.00.” This voucher is not endorsed.
It is evidently true, also, that Brumidi died poor. In the following
letter to Architect Clark, dated only five months before his death, and
only two days before he fell from the frieze scaffolding we have the
picture of a lonely artist facing lean years with fear--and a bit of
remorse: