A white man in military uniform rides a horse in front of a regiment of five rows of Black troops in this sculpture, which is painted entirely in gold. The artist created a shallow, stage-like space with an arched top so the men are sculpted in three dimensions, though they become more compressed as they move back in space. The men and horse face our right in profile in this view. The man on the horse has a pointed, straight nose and a goatee. He wears a cap with a flat top and narrow brim, a knee-length coat, gloves, and knee-high boots with spurs. He holds a thin sword down by the side of the horse with his right hand and holds the reins of the horse with his left. The horse’s head is pulled upward by the short reins, and its mouth is open around the bit. About twenty soldiers are lined up in rows beyond the horse, and they march in unison. They carry blankets rolled atop knapsacks, canteens, and rifles resting on their right shoulders. However, the details of how their uniforms bunch up around their equipment and the way their caps have been molded and fit is unique to each person. Their ages also vary from young and cleanshaven to bearded, older men. Two men carry furled flags near the back, to our left, and a drummer boy plays at the head of the regiment, to our right. All the men look straight ahead, their lips closed. A woman in a billowing robe floats above them under the arched top of the sculpture with her eyes closed. Her left arm is outstretched, and she holds a laurel branch and poppies close to her body with her right arm. An inscription in the upper right corner is created with raised capital letters: “OMNIA RELINQVIT SERVARE REMPVBLICAM.” A longer inscription is carved into the base along the bottom edge of the memorial, also in all caps: “ROBERT GOVLD SHAW KILLED WHILE LEADING THE ASSVLT ON FORT WAGNER JVLY TWENTY THIRD EIGHTEEN HVNDRED AND SIXTY THREE.” The artist’s signature is inscribed In the lower right corner, in smaller letters: “AVGVTVS SAINT GAVDEN M-D-C-C-C-L X X X X V I I I.”
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, The Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial, 1900, patinated plaster, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, New Hampshire, X.15233

War

War art often memorializes battles and turning points. It also commemorates military leaders, from classical era generals like Zenobia, to medieval heroes like Joan of Arc, to Colonel Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in the American Civil War. Today, war artists document the human cost of conflict, with photography serving as a powerful tool.

  • “This painting shows a pathway lined with short pillars and steps adorned with red flags on the left side and a tree-filled area on the right. The leaves overhead cast dappled shadows on the tan ground. The sky behind the brown tree branches is light blue. The brushstrokes in the painting are loose and impressionistic.”
  • This is a photograph of an anti-war demonstration. The image shows several large posters with slogans being held up in an outdoor environment. The posters feature graphic imagery, including a skeletal figure holding a rifle and a large black figure of a gun contrasted against a bold statement. The background consists of a high, stark white wall with a few scattered trees visible over the top. In the foreground, there are individuals, most of whom are raising their fists. The photographic style suggests a candid capture of a significant socio-political event focused on themes of disarmament and peace activism.
  • A rowboat carrying seven men is tossed within a furrow of swelling waves under a blanket of copper-brown clouds in this horizontal seascape painting. The white, foamy waves curve up in a deep U-shape close to us. The people in the rowboat all appear to have light skin, and they wear clothing and hats in shades of crimson red, butter yellow, slate blue, gray, and white. Four of the men row with long oars as the boat pitches toward us. One other rowboat follows in the distance, barely visible over the surging wave to our right. A wooden board and some debris are in the churning waves near the lower right corner. The three masted ships in the distance cluster at the center of the picture, and at least two more are visible closer to the horizon, which comes about a third of the way up this painting. Flags and sails tug against the flagpoles and masts, whipping to our right. A bank of towering, puffy, light gray and white clouds lines the horizon. A pale blue band of sky separates those clouds from the curtain of dark clouds, which runs diagonally from the center of the left edge of the painting up to the right corner.
  • The image shows three men. Two men are in the foreground, while one is in the background. The men in the foreground are standing in front of a large white tent and another structure is visible in the background. The man on the left is leaning on a walking stick, has a beard and mustache, and is wearing a dark coat over a long tunic. He also wears a hat. The man on the right stands with his legs apart, has a mustache and beard, and is wearing a heavy coat with fur trim. He holds a cane. The third man, in the background on the left, is also wearing a dark suit and cap. The ground is rough with rocks and there are additional tents in the blurred background.
  • This is a drawing of a flag. The image shows a flag with red and white stripes and a blue field with white stars arranged in a pattern, with the words "RED LION MOUNTED GUARD" written across the stripes. The flag features alternating red and white horizontal stripes. In the top left corner is a blue square with a constellation of white stars forming a pattern. The flag's edges are bordered with a thin yellow fringe, adding a decorative finish to the design.
  • This is a photograph of an album cover. The cover features the title "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War" embossed in gold in the center. The background of the cover is a textured dark material, possibly leather. There is an ornate gold border running along the edges of the cover. The large initials "P" and "S" are included within an emblem between the words "Photographic" and "Sketch Book." The use of gold embossing against the dark cover creates a striking contrast, drawing attention to the title and decorative elements.
  • The image shows a nude figure with a dynamic pose, featuring arms raised above the head and intertwined with angular shapes. The person has an angular face with short, dark hair. The figure's thin and sinewy form is depicted with visible ribs and muscles. Abstract geometric shapes surround the figure and there are chaotic, abstract forms in the background.
  • This is a drawing of two jousting figures on horseback. The scene shows two armored figures in traditional jousting attire engaged in a joust. One horse is adorned in a red drape patterned with decorative emblems, while its rider is equipped with matching armor and a plumed helmet. The other horse is draped in a white covering, and its rider wears a blue outfit with similar plumed headwear. Each contestant holds a lance, which has connected in the middle, showing the moment of impact. In the background, there are faint sketches of an audience watching the event. The overall composition highlights the historical and ornate aspects of a jousting tournament.
  • A white man in military uniform rides a horse in front of a regiment of five rows of Black troops in this sculpture, which is painted entirely in gold. The artist created a shallow, stage-like space with an arched top so the men are sculpted in three dimensions, though they become more compressed as they move back in space. The men and horse face our right in profile in this view. The man on the horse has a pointed, straight nose and a goatee. He wears a cap with a flat top and narrow brim, a knee-length coat, gloves, and knee-high boots with spurs. He holds a thin sword down by the side of the horse with his right hand and holds the reins of the horse with his left. The horse’s head is pulled upward by the short reins, and its mouth is open around the bit. About twenty soldiers are lined up in rows beyond the horse, and they march in unison. They carry blankets rolled atop knapsacks, canteens, and rifles resting on their right shoulders. However, the details of how their uniforms bunch up around their equipment and the way their caps have been molded and fit is unique to each person. Their ages also vary from young and cleanshaven to bearded, older men. Two men carry furled flags near the back, to our left, and a drummer boy plays at the head of the regiment, to our right. All the men look straight ahead, their lips closed. A woman in a billowing robe floats above them under the arched top of the sculpture with her eyes closed. Her left arm is outstretched, and she holds a laurel branch and poppies close to her body with her right arm. An inscription in the upper right corner is created with raised capital letters: “OMNIA RELINQVIT SERVARE REMPVBLICAM.” A longer inscription is carved into the base along the bottom edge of the memorial, also in all caps: “ROBERT GOVLD SHAW KILLED WHILE LEADING THE ASSVLT ON FORT WAGNER JVLY TWENTY THIRD EIGHTEEN HVNDRED AND SIXTY THREE.” The artist’s signature is inscribed In the lower right corner, in smaller letters: “AVGVTVS SAINT GAVDEN M-D-C-C-C-L X X X X V I I I.”
  • A turreted, sprawling stone castle, bronzed by the setting sun, crowns a rocky cliff at the center of this horizontal landscape painting. A round turret rises in the center of the castle’s jumble of blocky, square buildings. The buildings are dramatically outlined against a mass of roiling charcoal-gray and indigo-blue clouds, which are edged in peach, in the upper right corner. Barely noticeable amid the hulking structure, a scarlet-red flag flutters from a window in the tower overlooking a distant crag to our right. On that distant mountain, a column of amber smoke rises to mingle with the clouds above a bright band of sunlight on the horizon. Low trees and bushes grow around the base of the battlements. The land dips steeply toward us to a river below the cliff. Through the tangle of trees, a dirt road winds down the hill to a bridge of pale stone that crosses the river in front of us, to our left of center. Groups of helmeted horsemen cross the bridge, passing under a stone archway at its center. Near the bridge, tiny in scale, a herd of goats capers on the road near the horsemen as they ride on in a double column coming toward us along the clay-brown road. One rider carries a red pennant fluttering in the breeze. The riders wear ruby-red tunics and carry upright lances and shields. Light glints off their armor and helmets as they head to our right, toward the dark mass of tangled trees and rocky cliff on the border of the picture. A copse of low, gnarled trees grows near the opposite edge of the painting, to our left. Behind these trees and riders stretches a river valley spanned by another stone bridge. A cluster of people can barely be seen near and along that massive bridge in the distance. Beyond, buildings and a tall, square tower are lit by fires belching clouds of smoke. A heavy bank of gray clouds obscures the rest of the valley. Birds soar in the mist near a distant cliff, where flames and more smoke rise behind a boulder. In the deep distance to our left, a high, craggy cliff topped by a sprinkling of snow surges above the blanket of fog and clouds. In front of a clear, blue sky, it is also bathed in coral-red by the setting sun.
  • This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of children and soldiers on a road. Several children are running towards the camera and appear to be screaming or crying. The first child on the left is a boy in a white shirt and dark shorts, visibly crying, his mouth wide open. Next to him is a girl, unclothed, her arms stretched out to her sides. Behind them is another child in a white shirt and shorts who turns to look back over their shoulder. On the right side, two children are walking closely together, one in light-colored clothing holding hands with a child in darker clothes. In the background, several soldiers in military attire are walking down the road towards the children. The background displays a rural setting with open fields under a dark sky filled with dark, billowing smoke. There are several lines of text on the left edge of the photograph
  • The image depicts a bull standing amidst a group of fallen individuals and a woman in despair. Flames are seen in the background. The drawing uses strong contrasts and intricate cross-hatching techniques to create depth. The composition portrays a sense of turmoil and struggle, emphasizing the anguish and fear present in the scene.
  • The image displays three individuals and two infants outdoors. Two women are standing and holding infants wrapped in blankets. Both women have curly hair and are dressed in jackets. The infants are wrapped in blankets, one wearing a hood. In front of the women stands a young child in a coat. The background shows utility poles, a lamp post, buildings, and the edge of a canopy.

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Shown from the chest up, a cleanshaven, middle-aged man with pale skin and silvery gray hair, wearing a white, ruffled shirt under a velvety black, high-necked jacket, looks out at us in this vertical portrait painting. His body is angled to our left, and he turns his face slightly to look at us with gray eyes under slightly arched eyebrows. He has a long nose and his thin lips are closed in a straight line. Shadows define slightly sagging jowls along his jawline and down his neck. His light gray hair is pulled back from his forehead and swells in bushy curls over his ears. Part of a black ribbon seen beyond his shoulder ties his hair back. Light illuminates the person from our left and creates a golden glow on the light brown background behind him.

Early American Painting

Early American art includes works made by settlers in what we now know as the United States. Before the American Revolution, artists documented life in the colonies of New Spain and New England. And in the early decades of the United States, many artists represented the new nation through portraits of its early leaders.

This square portrait shows the head and shoulders of a young woman in front of a spiky bush that fills much of the background except for a landscape view that extends into the deep distance to our right. The woman's body is angled to our right but her face turns to us. She has chalk-white, smooth skin with heavily lidded, light brown eyes, and her pale pink lips are closed. Pale blush highlights her cheeks, and she looks either at us or very slightly away from our eyes. Her brown hair is parted down the middle and pulled back, but tight, lively curls frame her face. Her hair turns gold where the light shines on it. She wears a brown dress, trimmed along the square neckline with gold. The front of the bodice is tied with a blue ribbon, and the lacing holes are also edged with gold. A sheer white veil covers her chest and is pinned at the center with a small gold ball. The bush fills the space around her head with copper-brown, spiky leaves. A river winds between trees and rolling hills in the distance to our right. Trees and a town along the horizon, which comes about halfway up the painting, is pale blue under an ice-blue sky.

Painting

Since ancient times, artists have made paintings to tell stories or capture beauty. They’ve used egg tempera, oil, and more recently acrylic to create compositions of all shapes and sizes. The results include radiant altarpieces, striking portraits, luminous landscapes, and abstract expressions.