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
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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 (22 items)

Arthur Wesley Dow, Brittany Farm, 1885, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 2014.11.3
Brittany Farm
Date1885
oil on canvas
On view
Arthur Wesley Dow, Cemetery at Ipswich, ca. 1895-1910, cyanotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Consolidated Natural Gas Company Foundation, 1997.73
Cemetery at Ipswich
Dateca. 1895-1910
cyanotype
Not on view
Arthur Wesley Dow, Ipswich Prints: Lily, 1901/published 1902, photo-mechanical relief reproduction on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. F. F. Reinert, 1976.96.2.5
Ipswich Prints: Lily
Date1901/published 1902
photo-mechanical relief reproduction on paper
Not on view
Arthur Wesley Dow, Ipswich Prints: Fragment of old brocade, Persian design, 1901/published 1902, photo-mechanical relief reproduction on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. F. F. Reinert, 1976.96.2.2
Ipswich Prints: Fragment of old brocade, Persian design
Date1901/published 1902
photo-mechanical relief reproduction on paper
Not on view

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Untitled (Caught by the Collar)
Dateca. 1930
photomechanical reproduction on paper
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