Surrender of a Confederate Soldier
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Object Details
- Artist
- Julian Scott, born Johnson, VT 1846-died Plainfield, NJ 1901
- Gallery Label
- At the age of fifteen, Julian Scott lied about his age to enlist in the Union army. He rose from drummer boy to infantryman, and for his service he earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. After his discharge he became an artist, initially focusing on images of heroic moments of sacrifice during the war. He painted this Confederate soldier with dignity. The raised white flag is simultaneously a surrender of the individual, his family, the Confederate cause, and the Southern way of life. The soldier’s wife cradles their infant child, while the enslaved man with them looks away, perhaps envisioning the changes in his own future. Scott imbued this work with respect for his Confederate counterpart, sounding a hopeful note for the future.
- Credit Line
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Nan Altmayer
- 1873
- Object number
- 2012.23
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 19 3/8 x 15 1/2 in. (49.2 x 39.4 cm)
- See more items in
- Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture
- On View
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2nd Floor, East Wing
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Topic
- Figure group
- Occupation\military\soldier
- History\United States\Civil War
- Object\other\flag
- Record ID
- saam_2012.23
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7b9b08ddb-0b2e-4678-adcd-b3237276d423
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
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