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Gettysburg: The Paintings of Mort Kunstler
A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and a celebrated Civil War artist combine talents to provide a stunning visual account of the landmark battle that changed the course of American history and its participants. TV tie-in. 30,000 first printing.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 1993
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44 people want to read
About the author
James M. McPherson
172 books720 followersJames M. McPherson, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University, 1963; B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota), 1958) is an American Civil War historian, and the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, his most famous book. He was the president of the American Historical Association in 2003, and is a member of the editorial board of Encyclopædia Britannica.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 14, 2023
Gettysburg In Art
Many words have been written about the Battle of Gettysburg and its significance. This book with paintings by the Civil War artist Mort Kunstler is special because it is an attempt to recreate the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of an artist. Kunstler is a renowned painter of American historical subjects who focuses on the Civil War. He first visited Gettysburg in 1988.
In 1992, the National Park Service was inspired to display a series of Kunstler's paintings at Gettysburg. This was apparently the first instance in which the Park had used an art exhibition to help explain the theme of the Battle. Kunstler has said of his Gettysburg paintings that they constituted "the most difficult project' of his career.
This book of Kunstler's paintings was published in 1993 to coincide with the motion picture "Gettysburg." Good art has a life of its own beyond its connection with a film venture, as do the paintings in this book.
The book includes a running text by historian James McPherson explaining, in a clear and simple way, the basics of the Battle of Gettysburg. But the real attraction of the book lies in Kunstler's paintings. I suggest reading the book through a first time with McPherson's commentary and then turning one's attention to the paintings. (There is an index of the paintings at the end of the book.)
The 60 or so paintings in the book cover virtually every significant aspect of the Battle and many of its protagonists. The book begins with Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania and has several excellent paintings of his army passing through town and countryside en route to what would become an epic Battle. The book includes paintings of the fighting of each of the Battle's three days. I was pleased that the book included several paintings of the first day of the Battle, including an excellent picture of Union Cavalry Commander Buford spending a restless night of pacing before what would become the onset of the Battle. On the second day, the book features Joshua Chamberlain and Little Round Top with a very good painting as well as a painting of Barksdale's charge from the Peach Orchard. Several paintings show Pickett's charge from both the Union and Confederate sides of the line on the third day of the Battle, followed by paintings of the Confederate retreat from Pennsylvania. A large-scale painting shows the sometimes overlooked cavalry fight at East Cavalry Field on the Battle's third day between Stuart and Custer. The book concludes with a portrait of Lincoln at Gettysburg delivering his famous address.
The characters portrayed in the paintings include Lee, Longstreet, Stuart, Pickett (and this three brigade commanders Armistead, Garnett, and Kemper) and Barksdale. Union portrayals include Lincoln, Reynolds, Buford, and Chamberlain. (There are no portraits of Meade, the Union commander, or of Hancock.)
The cumulative effect of the paintings is impressive. The paintings evidence a good deal of study and give a good account of uniforms, terrain, and the topography of the Battlefield. For the most part, the paintings avoid the sentimentality that frequently accompanies this type of art. Some of the paintings, such as the painting of Buford that I mentioned above, the painting of the meeting between Lee and Stuart, the painting of Lee greeting his men after Pickett's failed charge, and the paintings showing the hardship of the Confederate retreat following the Battle seem to me particularly well done. They suggest well and creatively the significance of the Battle.
I have some reservations about this form of genre art. But this book captures much of the Battle of Gettysburg and will provoke thought and reflection among its viewers of the significance of this moment. The book combines artistic imagination and a sense of American history. It is an effective way to approach the Battle of Gettysburg through art.
Robin Friedman
Many words have been written about the Battle of Gettysburg and its significance. This book with paintings by the Civil War artist Mort Kunstler is special because it is an attempt to recreate the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of an artist. Kunstler is a renowned painter of American historical subjects who focuses on the Civil War. He first visited Gettysburg in 1988.
In 1992, the National Park Service was inspired to display a series of Kunstler's paintings at Gettysburg. This was apparently the first instance in which the Park had used an art exhibition to help explain the theme of the Battle. Kunstler has said of his Gettysburg paintings that they constituted "the most difficult project' of his career.
This book of Kunstler's paintings was published in 1993 to coincide with the motion picture "Gettysburg." Good art has a life of its own beyond its connection with a film venture, as do the paintings in this book.
The book includes a running text by historian James McPherson explaining, in a clear and simple way, the basics of the Battle of Gettysburg. But the real attraction of the book lies in Kunstler's paintings. I suggest reading the book through a first time with McPherson's commentary and then turning one's attention to the paintings. (There is an index of the paintings at the end of the book.)
The 60 or so paintings in the book cover virtually every significant aspect of the Battle and many of its protagonists. The book begins with Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania and has several excellent paintings of his army passing through town and countryside en route to what would become an epic Battle. The book includes paintings of the fighting of each of the Battle's three days. I was pleased that the book included several paintings of the first day of the Battle, including an excellent picture of Union Cavalry Commander Buford spending a restless night of pacing before what would become the onset of the Battle. On the second day, the book features Joshua Chamberlain and Little Round Top with a very good painting as well as a painting of Barksdale's charge from the Peach Orchard. Several paintings show Pickett's charge from both the Union and Confederate sides of the line on the third day of the Battle, followed by paintings of the Confederate retreat from Pennsylvania. A large-scale painting shows the sometimes overlooked cavalry fight at East Cavalry Field on the Battle's third day between Stuart and Custer. The book concludes with a portrait of Lincoln at Gettysburg delivering his famous address.
The characters portrayed in the paintings include Lee, Longstreet, Stuart, Pickett (and this three brigade commanders Armistead, Garnett, and Kemper) and Barksdale. Union portrayals include Lincoln, Reynolds, Buford, and Chamberlain. (There are no portraits of Meade, the Union commander, or of Hancock.)
The cumulative effect of the paintings is impressive. The paintings evidence a good deal of study and give a good account of uniforms, terrain, and the topography of the Battlefield. For the most part, the paintings avoid the sentimentality that frequently accompanies this type of art. Some of the paintings, such as the painting of Buford that I mentioned above, the painting of the meeting between Lee and Stuart, the painting of Lee greeting his men after Pickett's failed charge, and the paintings showing the hardship of the Confederate retreat following the Battle seem to me particularly well done. They suggest well and creatively the significance of the Battle.
I have some reservations about this form of genre art. But this book captures much of the Battle of Gettysburg and will provoke thought and reflection among its viewers of the significance of this moment. The book combines artistic imagination and a sense of American history. It is an effective way to approach the Battle of Gettysburg through art.
Robin Friedman
May 20, 2020
As always, it is a pleasure to look at the Civil War paintings of Mort Kunstler. This is a very good introduction to the Battle of Gettysburg, written by James M. McPherson, who wrote Battle Cry of Freedom. The only issue that I have is that McPherson tends to recycle his own work in many of his works. You can see glimpses of this writing back in "Battle Cry" and this book was basically reproduced in his "Hallowed Ground: A Walk in Gettysburg", so if you've read that book, you have basically already read this book. Both very good accounts of the battle, just the same.
July 8, 2016
Nice collection of original artwork by one of the foremost illustrators of the Civil War. If you take a close look at the painting entitled "The High Water Mark" you will note the soldiers of the 39th NY, Garibaldi Guard. Look for their feathered hats along the lefthand edge of the picture.
January 29, 2016
An awesome art book. Great selection of a modern master's works. Very recommended
March 28, 2017
This book was released as a tie-in to the Gettysburg movie back in 1993. This is still my favourite movie of all time but I must admit reading this book of paintings in 2017 made me realise how much of a different place the world is from 1993.
First off, the paintings: Künstler is not a subtle artist by any stretch of the imagination, so his American Civil War paintings are all detailed but heroically styled portraits of battle action, momentous meetings, famous generals, etc. In other words, awesome if you're a Civil War buff. Probably not much of interest if you're not.
But the thing that struck me the most is that the book, and particularly the text by James MacPherson, fits into a sort of 'neutral' approach to the Civil War that doesn't really exist today.
In this older way of re-telling Civil War stories, the politics and causes are moved to the side (not ignored, just moved). And then the emphasis becomes on the bravery, the wrong moves, the tactics that worked, the cost of the war.
In other words, it allows the reader the chance to perceive each side in its complexity. You might have thought one side was utterly wrong but at least you could admire aspects of their character.
This is not how we process things today. Fast forward to today, Confederate Flag merchandise is banned on eBay, and there is (understandably) little tolerance for the Lost Cause or other tales of the Grand South. So I suspect that in this time where we have less patience for historical excuses for things like racism, I'm not sure that a book like this would find much of a market. I feel it would be perceived less as neutral history and much more as a glorification of the South. (Even if that wasn't the intention of the artist, author or filmmaker.)
Which I partly understand, but also concerns me. The reason Gettysburg is my favourite movie is not necessarily because it's great history (historical cinema is always going to have its flaws) but because in forcing me to consider both sides of a conflict it taught me a greater truth: if you want to be able to persuade someone else, you must first understand where they are coming from.
To me, this is the most useful thing about history - it teaches us to understand how other people have thought and what the consequences of that have been. I hope that doesn't fall out of fashion.
First off, the paintings: Künstler is not a subtle artist by any stretch of the imagination, so his American Civil War paintings are all detailed but heroically styled portraits of battle action, momentous meetings, famous generals, etc. In other words, awesome if you're a Civil War buff. Probably not much of interest if you're not.
But the thing that struck me the most is that the book, and particularly the text by James MacPherson, fits into a sort of 'neutral' approach to the Civil War that doesn't really exist today.
In this older way of re-telling Civil War stories, the politics and causes are moved to the side (not ignored, just moved). And then the emphasis becomes on the bravery, the wrong moves, the tactics that worked, the cost of the war.
In other words, it allows the reader the chance to perceive each side in its complexity. You might have thought one side was utterly wrong but at least you could admire aspects of their character.
This is not how we process things today. Fast forward to today, Confederate Flag merchandise is banned on eBay, and there is (understandably) little tolerance for the Lost Cause or other tales of the Grand South. So I suspect that in this time where we have less patience for historical excuses for things like racism, I'm not sure that a book like this would find much of a market. I feel it would be perceived less as neutral history and much more as a glorification of the South. (Even if that wasn't the intention of the artist, author or filmmaker.)
Which I partly understand, but also concerns me. The reason Gettysburg is my favourite movie is not necessarily because it's great history (historical cinema is always going to have its flaws) but because in forcing me to consider both sides of a conflict it taught me a greater truth: if you want to be able to persuade someone else, you must first understand where they are coming from.
To me, this is the most useful thing about history - it teaches us to understand how other people have thought and what the consequences of that have been. I hope that doesn't fall out of fashion.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews