Skirmish in the Wilderness: Winslow Homer and American Artists in the Civil War

An Illustrated Talk Presented By David Davison

American painters transitioned from the idylls of their Hudson River School landscapes once they heard the drums of war. They took on the challenge of depicting the tension of combat as well as the calm of daily army life. They showed heroism, death, and post-war healing of veterans. Reviewing the work of American artists during the war provides a profound and beautiful window into the conflict, how it was experienced on the front lines and perceived back home. The great American painter Winslow Homer saw war first-hand, and he was the foremost illustrator of the conflict. His ground-breaking painting of a moment in the bloody Battle of the Wilderness in 1864 gets special attention.

Davison has given many illustrated talks at museums and other venues, including the President’s College at the University of Hartford; New Britain Museum of American Art; the Mattatuck Museum (Waterbury CT); Schiller Shoreline Institute of Lifelong Learning; and Guilford Public Library.  Contact:  davison.davidc@gmail.com

This is a free event, but donations are welcome.