Albert+Visual+Art+in+the+Civil+War

__Intro__
toc Throughout the Civil War multiple artists incorporated themes related to the war in their works, both metaphorically -dealing with issues of internal warfare, the future of the union and the search for an American identity during the war and after it ended- and in concrete ways, depicting battlefields with great realism. The visual arts of the time served as a cultural barometer of the mood of the nation during this turbulent times. Numerous artists shocked a public accustomed to romanticised images of conflict, with images of the dead. The works of art during this time follow the conflict from its beginning, to the growing realisation that the conflict would not end quickly, to dealing with issues around emancipation and reconciliation.This was one of the first wars in which people were able to witness some of what was happening in the battlefield, through the work of artists, cartoonist and photographers that ap media type="youtube" key="PXFWGl1cAfI" height="244" width="392" align="right" peared in newspapers often published weekly and read by thousands. There were numerous important artists but among the best known are Winslow Homer, Eastman Johnson, the cartoonist Thomas Nast, Frederic Church, Sanford Gifford, and Edward Lamson Henry. The American art establishment was male-dominated during the 19th century; a few women contributed to the visual culture of the Civil War era by sewing quilts used by the soldiers.

__**Cartoons**__
American visual satire or political cartoons reached artistic maturity during the civil war. Cartoons portrayed images and themes related to the the war in a lightat once humorous, tragic and sad. There was nothing funny about the civil war for the abolitionists, the entire black po pulation and even for slaveholders. The ideals at stakewere serious for every American. And it was through the use of cartoons, through the prints that decorated their stationery, in prints and paintings and sketches, that artist and lay people were able to reduce the big themes of the war to manageable proportions and used humor as a tool to deal with so much grief and pain. Racial issues provided cartoonists with a rich and easily accessible source of material; the cartoons of the time reflected and reinforced the racial stereotypes that most Anglo-Saxons held at the time. A number of developments in the antebellum period helped to increase the influence of the political prints. The rising literacy rate among Northern Whites which reached 89% by 1850 meant that cartoons were accessible to many. At the same time improved printing technologies resulted in a significant growth in the number and distribution of American newspapers. The number of publications quadrupled between 1825 and 1860 to approximately 3,300. Newspapers served as the primary setting for political satire but were certainly not the only medium; broadsides, pamphlets, individual prints, almanacs, campaign banners and envelopes were others.

**__Thomas Nast__**
Considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon", Nast was born in Landau, Germany in 1840. Young Nast, his sister and mother came to the United States in 1846, while his father followed four years later. He attended school in New York City from the age of six to fifteen when he was forced to drop out due to financial reasons. His love for drawing was evident from an early age, and his neighbor who made candles and crayons, gave Thomas a reject crayons and he would spend hours drawing. He had problems adjusting to life in America and never did well in school. He started working in 1855 as a draftsman for Frank leslie's Illustrated Newspaper and three years later for Harper's weekly. Among his notable works were the creation of the modern version of Santa Claus, Uncle Sam (the male personification of the American people) as well as the political symbols of both major political parties in the US: the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey.

__Illustrated Newspapers__
A new feature of the press in 1861 was the illustrated newspaper. The first successful weekly in the United States was Frank Leslie’s illustrated newspaper which came into being in 1859, and was called the New York Illustrated News. The works of artists employed by the newspaper were not intended for saving, and original sketches were thrown out after the engravers finished with the drawings. None of the illustrated papers were available to the Confederate population: in 1861 all the illustrated newspapers of the United States were published in New York city. Though they had often circulated in the South, these publications became inaccessible in May of 1861 when the mail between the areas at war was stopped. After a year and a half the South established the Southern Illustrated New s but the difficult economic situation of the region did not permit the publication to afford a ‘special artist’ in the field.

__'Special Artists'__
During the civil war families concerned with the well being of their sons who were fighting the war, demanded news about what was happening in the battlefield. With the advent of the illustrated newspapers came the appearance of the ‘special artists’, who were able to infuse their drawings with authenticity and realism, and give readers the sense that they were witnessing real history. These special artists needed to be able to sketch rapidly and accurately, and to be on hand for the newsworthy events in often dangerous places. The artists needed to fend for themselves, since there was no established provision for their maintenance, and that included the need for horses for transport. Though most always civilians, the status of the special artists in relation to the enemy was that of a combatant, and if captured, often were imprisoned. Their drawings were sent back to the newspaper offices from the field using the mail service, commercial and private express-messenger services or friends going in the right direction.

**__Art of the South (with additional information contributed by Adrian Sands)__**
The fine art of the South was a victim of the devastation caused by the Civil war. The destruction of cities such as Columbia, South Carolina, caused the loss of great houses and art collections. Numerous artists appear to have been active in the South prior to the war, but during the war most cities had no artistic activity. An exception is Alfred Gustin who established himself as a professional painter in Savannah, Georgia in 1867, though his work is not extensive by any means. The South was lacking in landscape artists; most chose to be portraitists. One portraitist who gained moderate fame was Edward C. Bruce, who produced a well-known likeness of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, painted from life in Richmond, Virginia.

As the Confederacy's capital, Richmond was a hub of southern social and cultural activities. The city was home to artists such as William James Hubard, John Adams Elder, and William Ludwell Sheppard. During the war he made sketches of soldiers in the battlefield. These were developed into the illustrations he later became famous for. Richmond's most well known artist was William Washington, who painted military scenes such a s "Jackson Entering Winchester" and "The Burial of Latane". The latter became a symbol of heroism, self-sacrifice and feminine endurance. Southern paintings by white artists often showed African Americans as dehumanized caricatures, black stereotypes, rather than individuals. Skin color often appeared coal black; lips were thick and red, and large teeth. The poor quality of the clothing and subservient activities cast them as outside or beneath the dominant white social order.

__Slavery and African American Artists__
Issues of race and varying viewpoints around race are evident in the art of Civil War. Some artists depicted a romanticized view of slavery (e.g. ‘Slave market in Richmond Virginia by Eyre Crow 1824-1910) and others showed the slaves on their way to attaining freedom. Among freemen several academically trained African American artists were working in New England prior to the Civil War. Included in this gro up are Patrick Reason (1817-1856). William H. Simpson (1818-1872), Robert Douglas and Eugene Warburg (1826-1859). The work of these artists is often similar to those of other white painters perhaps because their audience was predominantly white.

**__Winslow Homer__**
Was twenty five years old by the the time the Civil War began. He was born in Massachusetts and worked as a ‘special artist’ for Harper’s Weekly where he portrayed the life of soldiers in camp and their longing for the families. He was mostly a self-taught artist and remained independent as a freelance artist for Harper’s Weekly. With a letter from Fletcher Harper, the editor of the weekly, he was able to move through the lines and gain access to the Army and stayed with the battling for several months. He sketched battle scenes and camp life. His initial sketches were of the camp, commanders, and army of the famous Union officer, Major General George B. McClellan at the banks of the Potomac River. He subsequently took up oil painting. he also worked in watercolor often chronicling his working vacations.

__Sanford Gifford ﻿ __
Gifford the son of an iron foundry owner was born in Greenfield, New York and spent his childhood in Hudson, New York. He attended Brown University before leaving to study art in New York City in 1845. By 1847 he was sufficiently skilled at painting to exhibit his first landscape at the National Academy and was elected an associate in 1851, an academician in 1854. Thereafter Gifford devoted himself to landscape painting, becoming one of the finest artists of the early Hudson River School. He is better known for his landscape paintings than for his few works depicting battles. After traveling extensively both within the United States and in Europe he served in the Union Army upon the outbreak of the Civil War. A few of his canvases belonging to New York City's Seventh Regiment and the Union League Club of New York are testament to that troubled time. He continued traveling throughout his life, including a trip to Egypt in 1869 with his wife. Returning to his studio in New York City, Gifford painted numerous major landscapes from scenes he recorded on his travels. He died in August 1880 after suffering malaria fever. The Metropolitan Museum of New York held an exhibit that year with 160 of his paintings. Returning to his studio in New York City, Gifford painted numerous major landscapes from scenes he recorded on his travels. Gifford's method of creating a work of art was similar to other Hudson River School artists. He would first sketch rough, small works in oil paint from his sketchbook pencil drawings. Those scenes he most favored he then developed into small, finished paintings, then into larger, finished paintings.

__**Edward Lamson Henry**__
Born in Charleston, his parents died when he was just seven and he moved to New York City. He began studying painting while in New York and at the in Philadelphia. In 1860 he went to Paris, where he studied with Charles Gleyre and Gustave Courbet, at roughly the same time as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Frédéric Bazille, and Alfred Sisley. In 1862 after his return to the United States, he served as a clerk on a Union transport ship in the American Civil War. After the war he resumed his painting, with many works inspired by his experiences in the war. He moved into the prestigious Tenth Street Studio Building in Greenwich Village, where Winslow Homer also had a studio. Because of his great attention to detail, his paintings were treated by contemporaries as authentic historical reconstructions though they often portrayed an idyllic and agrarian America.

**__Post-war Art (contributed by Adrian Sands)__**
Postbellum life in the former Confederacy drew artists such as Edwin Gardner, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and Edward L. Henry. Industry in America was growing. The war had put a high demand on factory output, and the rate of production remained strong after the war had ended. By the end of the 19th century, the US was the world's industrial leader. The shock felt by Americans and fear of what was to come was expressed through depictions of the elements overwhelming mankind. Thunderstorms and raging oceans ravaging small boats and people were not uncommon images. A later generation of artists, featuring Homer and Eakins, was influenced by Darwin's theories and social change. They questioned traditional views. In "Morning Bell" (1866), Homer ponders the nature of a society that sends out young girls to work in factories. The foreboding qualities of this generation's works seemed to make statements about the war, reconstruction, and an industrial culture growing at an alarming rate.

**__Reasearch__**
"Civil War Art - Conrad Wise Chapman, Edward Lamson Henry, Winslow Homer, James Hope, Eastman Johnson, Theodore Kaufmann, Thomas Nast, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, William Aiken Walker." // AskART - Art Prices, Painting Value, Art Appraisal, Art Values, Auction Prices //. Artists' Bluebook and AskART. Web. 18 May 2011. war_art_1.aspx?id=40>.

"The Press: Artist-Journalists of THE CIVIL WAR - TIME." // Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com //. Time Inc., 17 Feb. 1961. Web. 18 May 2011. .

"Smithsonian American Art Museum Organizing 2012 Exhibition “The Civil War and American Art” as Part of Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration." // Home | Newsdesk //. Smithsonian Institution, 29 Apr. 2011. Web. 18 May 2011. .

"Winslow Homer Introduction Template." // CivilWar@Smithsonian //. Smithsonian Institution. Web. 18 May 2011. 

__**Images**__
//The Battle of Latane//. Digital image. //American Gallery//. Web. 22 May 2011. 

All other images gathered from wikimedia commons