Featured Stonewall Stonewall Jackson in Popular Art

This is a nice featured thread. I've never paid attention to the famous modern artists' renditions of various CW personalities and events. You can spend a lot of time looking at the pictures so they definitely capture your attention.

Many of the Jackson pieces are sentimental. I don't use that in a negative way; I'm just not an art critic.

The one that struck me the most was the funeral of Jackson. The reason why I'm commenting on this thread is because "Press Forward Men" is the only print I've seen on someone's wall. How would you critique that? As a piece of art - you know - color, composition, etc. How about as a piece of history? A lot going on in the pix. What would you look at? Comment on? Thanks.

Although Bradley Schmehl is one of my favorites where portraying Stonewall is concerned, I regret he's apparently pushing the Black Confederates angle - notice the inclusion dead center of what seems to be one serving as a member of the regiment! Also, in his The Grim Harvest of War (seen below), the focus is directed through Jackson's and Maj. Wheat's gaze toward the obvious body servant's maudlin anguish over the loss of his master, an infantry sergeant lying in his arms. Other than these dubious touches, Schmehl's palette is both good and authentic, and his attention to details rivals Troiani's and Rocco's, as in his portrayal of the uniforms of Wheat's Louisiana Tiger Rifles here. Jackson and His Disciples in the post above represents Jackson amid Capt. W. N. Pendleton's Rockbridge Artillery at the Battle of First Bull Run, and I think his representation of Stonewall's appearance, wearing his VMI professors' uniform and cap is actually more convincing than Troiani's version on the previous page in Drive Them to Washington.

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More Jackson by Bradley Schmehl
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This painting by Schemhl is titled simply Stonewall.

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Reconnaissance at McDowell shows, in addition to Jackson at right center, Jedidiah Hotchkiss pointing and Brig. Gen. Edward Johnson at Jackson's left. My favorite of Schmehl's paintings of Jackson during the Valley Campaign is the already posted The Prince and the Professor featuring Jackson meeting Richard Taylor. Though it doesn't actually depict Jackson, I'll include Tigers to the Rescue!, Schmehl's painting of Rob Wheat's Louisiana Battalion of Taylor's Brigade at Winchester, since it's also a Valley Campaign subject.

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More by Mort Kunstler
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Shenandoah Autumn features Jackson meeting Jeb Stuart at Millwood, Virginia, Nov. 4, 1862.

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Lee's Lieutenants includes Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, and Stuart, with Stonewall holding the attention in the center.

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Gods and Generals portrays the same figures during the Antietam Campaign.

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Confederate Sunset shows Jackson, Lee, and Longstreet together for the last time at Fredericksburg.
 
It's finished! Yesterday I got it hung properly after getting it back from the frame shop the day before It's bigger than my other Troiani's, so I had to move things around a bit: it displaced Bronze Guns and Iron Men which in turn had to displace Schmehl's Grim Harvest of War in order to keep the Troiani's in the same room!

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Looks great !!! and thank you for such a wonderful topic thread.

Respectfully,

William
 
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I just discovered this interesting print called Calm Under Fire by Mark Churms showing Jackson and his staff at the July 2, 1861 Battle of Falling Waters on the Falling Waters Battlefield Association website where it can also be purchased: http://www.battleoffallingwaters.com/calmunderfire.htm
 
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I have a painting of Jackson and another of Lee that my grandmother gave to me. I always remember them hanging in her living room as a kid and I expressed interest a while back and she gave them to me. I love them. I will have to take a photo of them and post.
 
Here is a not often seen bust that's in the capital building in Charleston, WV. Another one is in the capital building in Richmond. On this, the two Virginias seem to think alike. Sculpted by Bryant Baker in 1957.

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This is the one in Richmond

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My wife bought me an artists proof edition print of the Professor from VMI for Father's Day a few years back ( I am a teacher). It used to hang in my classroom. It is another Gods and Generals painting. The blackboard is taken directly from a scene in the film

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Apparently, he was a miserable teacher -- at least by today's standards. "We will repeat this lesson until you get it right!"
 
My wife bought me an artists proof edition print of the Professor from VMI for Father's Day a few years back ( I am a teacher). It used to hang in my classroom. It is another Gods and Generals painting. The blackboard is taken directly from a scene in the film

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I like the representation of Jackson; at least it doesn't look like the movie Jackson, unlike some of Kunstler's Gettysburg-inspired paintings. Unfortunately, for some reason the CHAIR pictured is an English Windsor rather than an American one though. Possibly the fault of this being from G&G and a repetition of a mistake made in the film?
 
I would like to add the Coca Cola add from the 1940's.

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"Stonewall Jackson taught us what the pause that refreshes really means."

I really like seeing the original version of this as it was intended - the painting by itself was used back around 1970 or so as the cover art of a special issue of the magizine Civil War Times Illustrated devoted to the Valley Campaign.
 
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