The American Civil War was precipitated by the issue of slavery, and the industrial-level slaughter made it the bloodiest war ever fought by the United States. Why, then, was there so little painting during the Civil War depicting race, slavery, and the battlefield? Taking Johnson’s painting in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as its starting point, this lecture will explore the climate for treating these subjects during the conflict and will show how during the post-Reconstruction years, a different set of national priorities made it possible, and even necessary, to represent the Civil War battlefield.
Paul Mellon Lecture: Seeing and Not Seeing the Civil War: Eastman Johnson’s A Ride for Liberty
with Dr. John Davis, noted Eastman Johnson scholar & former Alice Pratt Brown Professor, Smith College
Thu, Nov 15, 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater