Mort Kunstler

The Civil War Paintings of Mort Kunstler Volume 1: Fort Sumter to Antietam

For nearly thirty years, Mort Künstler has focused his considerable artistic talent on interpreting the Civil War. Relying on leading historians and scholars, he translates the details of their work onto canvas to create an indelible image of this deï¬ning ordeal in American history.

The Civil War Paintings of Mort Künstler presents more than 160 Civil War paintings in four volumes that parallel the history of the war. This ï¬rst volume covers the period from the ï¬ring on Fort Sumter in April 1861 to the battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) in September 1862. During this time, people of the North and the South slowly began to understand that this would not be a short conflict but rather a war the likes of which the world had never known.

The conï¬dence with which the Confederate states began their ï¬ght for independence is seen in Künstler's Moonlight and Magnolias, Blessing of the Sword, Charleston-Autumn 1861, and Guns of Autumn. The hard realities of the war can be seen in his Winds of Winter, The Fight at Fallen Timbers, ". . . They Were Soldiers Indeed," With a Rebel Yell, and "Raise the Colors and Follow Me."

History comes alive in Künstler's paintings. His portrayal of the war through images of people and events brings dimension and character to them. Whether the subjects of these works are ï¬eld commanders or men in the ranks, his brush conveys their battleï¬eld courage, their stamina in the ï¬eld, and their devotion to their leaders and their causes.