American Battle Painting 1776-1918

July 4-September 4, 1944

Overview: 116 paintings and drawings, recording the 6 wars fought by the United States from the Revolution through World War I, were created from memory or from eyewitness accounts. In addition to famous battle scenes by the well-known artists Benjamin West, John Trumbull, and Winslow Homer, sketches were included by military leaders Lee, Grant, Jefferson Davis, Sherman, and Meade. Also included were drawings by cadets at West Point, and watercolors of the Indian campaign by Sitting Bull and White Bird, depicting the struggles against the white man on the Western frontier. The exhibition was selected from museums and private collections.

Location: Ground Floor, Central Gallery, West Central Lobby, Galleries G-9, G-10

Catalogue: American Battle Painting 1776-1918, by Lincoln Kirstein. Washington D.C.: National Gallery of Art; New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1944.

Other venue:

Museum of Modern Art, New York

October 3-November 8, 1944

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