Surrender of a Confederate Soldier

Julian Scott, Surrender of a Confederate Soldier, 1873, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Nan Altmayer, 2012.23
Julian Scott, Surrender of a Confederate Soldier, 1873, oil on canvas, 19 3815 12 in. (49.239.4 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
Dimensions
19 3815 12 in. (49.239.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Nan Altmayer
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Occupation — military — soldier
  • History — United States — Civil War
  • Object — other — flag
Object Number
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.

Works by this artist (2 items)

Julian Scott, Surrender of a Confederate Soldier, 1873, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Nan Altmayer, 2012.23
Surrender of a Confederate Soldier
Date1873
oil on canvas
On view
Julian Scott, Sitting Bull, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Victor Justice Evans, 1985.66.362,137
Sitting Bull
Daten.d.
oil on canvas
Not on view

Videos

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0.00%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected

      In this podcast, curator Eleanor Jones Harvey discusses 6 featured paintings from The Civil War and American Art exhibition. This episode looks at Surrender of a Confederate Soldier by Julian Scott. The Civil War and American Art examines how America's artists represented the impact of the Civil War and its aftermath. The exhibition follows the conflict from palpable unease on the eve of war, to heady optimism that it would be over with a single battle, to a growing realization that this conflict would not end quickly and a deepening awareness of issues surrounding emancipation and the need for reconciliation. Genre and landscape painting captured the transformative impact of the war, not traditional history painting. 

      More Artworks from the Collection

      Louis M. Eilshemius, Pale Blue Landscape, n.d., oil on paper mounted on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Emil J. Arnold, 1967.56.6
      Pale Blue Landscape
      Daten.d.
      oil on paper mounted on paperboard
      Not on view
      George Catlin, Round Island, a Warrior, 1831, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.265
      Round Island, a Warrior
      Date1831
      oil on canvas
      Not on view
      George Catlin, Men-són-se-ah, Left Hand, a Warrior, 1830, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr., 1985.66.255
      Men-són-se-ah, Left Hand, a Warrior
      Date1830
      oil on canvas
      Not on view