Surrender of a Confederate Soldier

Media - 2012.23 - SAAM-2012.23_1 - 79789
Copied Julian Scott, Surrender of a Confederate Soldier, 1873, oil on canvas, 19 3⁄8 x 15 1⁄2 in. (49.2 x 39.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Nan Altmayer, 2012.23
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Surrender of a Confederate Soldier
Artist
Date
1873
Location
Dimensions
19 3⁄8 x 15 1⁄2 in. (49.2 x 39.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Nan Altmayer
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Occupation — military — soldier
  • History — United States — Civil War
  • Figure group
Object Number
2012.23
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2012.23

Artwork Description

At the age of fifteen, Julian Scott lied about his age to enlist in the Union army. He rose from drummer boy to infantryman, and for his service he earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. After his discharge he became an artist, initially focusing on images of heroic moments of sacrifice during the war.He painted this Confederate soldier with dignity. The raised white flag is simultaneously a surrender of the individual, his family, the Confederate cause, and the Southern way of life. The soldier’s wife cradles their infant child, while the enslaved man with them looks away, perhaps envisioning the changes in his own future. Scott imbued this work with respect for his Confederate counterpart, sounding a hopeful note for the future.

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