Shenandoah Autumn     By late 1862, General Thomas J. Jackson and General J.E.B. Stuart were giants in gray - revered in the South and reluctantly respected in the North. Only General Robert E. Lee was held in higher esteem. “Stonewall” Jackson and “Jeb” Stuart had bequeathed heart and hope to the embattled people of the South, while repeatedly frustrating Northern strategies for conquering the Southern homeland.

When director Ron Maxwell sought ideas for staging several key scenes in Gods and Generals, he went to a reliable source: the highly detailed and evocative Civil War paintings of artist Mort Künstler. Renowned for his renderings of subjects from American history, Künstler has focused on Civil War imagery since the early 1980s. Maxwell knew that the paintings were carefully researched for historical fidelity - a quality both artists insisted on.

 

		Gods and Generals
After a brilliant victory at the battle of Second Manassas, General Robert E. Lee intended to lead his newly organized Army of Northern Virginia into enemy country. He would attempt to shift the focus of the war in the east from his beloved Virginia and take the fighting to the North. If he could win a major battle on northern soil - in Pennsylvania - it might even be enough to end the war’s unprecedented bloodshed and gain independence for the South.

Gods and Generals Festivities

Stephen Lang, Mort Künstler and Jeff Daniels Stephen Lang, Mort Künstler, and Jeff Daniels in the press tent at Central Park on February 19, 2003, during the NBC Today show. Lang and Daniels star in the new film Gods and Generals. Künstler is the official artist for the movie.

Mort Künstler and Stephen Lang Mort Künstler with actor Stephen Lang, who stars as Stonewall Jackson in the new film Gods and Generals. The one-man show Gods and Generals - The Paintings of Mort Künstler opened at Hammer Galleries in New York City on February 22, 2003.

Mort Künstler and Jeff Daniels Mort Künstler shakes hands with Jeff Daniels in front of the Künstler painting Courage in Blue. The painting features Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Daniels stars as Chamberlain in the Gods and Generals movie. Künstler is the official artist for the film.

Mort Künstler and Stephen Lang Mort Künstler and Stephen Lang, who stars as Stonewall Jackson in the film Gods and Generals, chat about Künstler's newest painting, also entitled Gods and Generals. The painting is featured in his one man show at Hammer Galleries until March 22, 2003.

Mort Künstler and Al Roker Mort Künstler talked with Al Roker of NBC's Today Show about his new book Gods and Generals with text by James I. Robertson, Jr. This took place at a Civil War battle reenactment held in New York City's Central Park on February 19, 2003. The reenactment was part of the festivities for the New York opening of the movie Gods and Generals. In conjunction with the film is an exhibit of original paintings Gods and Generals-The Paintings of Mort Künstler at Hammer Galleries.

Exhibition of Mr. Künstler's Original Paintings Official Artist for the Film February 22 - March 22, 2003 Hammer Galleries 33 West 57th Street New York, N.Y. 10019 212-644-4400

Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Künstler
Exhibition Opens at Hammer Galleries

Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Künstler, a one-man show at Hammer Galleries in New York City, opened on February 22, 2003. Despite pouring rain and gusty winds, brave fans showed their admiration for Künstler's work and the event was a success. James I. Robertson, Jr., author of the text of the book by the same name, was also in town for the event, which included a book signing by both the writer and the artist.

James Robertson, Jr., Howard Shaw of Hammer Galleries, and Mort Künstler

	Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Künstler

Mort Künstler, who is acclaimed in national art circles as "America's premier historical artist," is the official artist of the new motion picture Gods and Generals. The long-awaited feature film is opening in theaters throughout the nation - accompanied by an official companion book of Mort Künstler's Civil War art. Since he began specializing in Civil War scenes more than 15 years ago, Mort Kunstler has become the "most-collected" Civil War artist in America. His limited edition fine art prints, which are published by American Spirit Publishing, Inc., are displayed in homes, offices and historical sites throughout the nation. To date, Kunstler has painted more than one-hundred scenes from the War Between the States.

Other Related Books and Prints

		Divine Guidance
It was heart-breaking news, even for a man of war. General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson received the hard tidings at his headquarters near Fredericksburg, Virginia early on the morning of March 17, 1863. Just the day before, the general’s headquarters had been relocated from a winter campsite he had occupied for several months at nearby Moss Neck Plantation. At the time, the owner of Moss Neck, Richard Corbin, was serving elsewhere in the Confederate cavalry. Left at home on the plantation was his wife, Roberta, and the couple’s five year-old daughter, Jane Wellford Corbin - who was known affectionately as “Janie.”

Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Künstler		Regular Edition Signed by Author		Collector's Edition Signed Leather Edition, 4 Prints
Showcased in this work are over 65 paintings by Mort Künstler, including 30 new images displayed here for the first time. It chronicles the momentous events of 1861 through early 1863 by following the lives of principal figures from that period of the war - Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Winfield Scott Hancock.

The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, proudly announces its first major fine art exhibition since its grand opening in February 2001.

Gods and Generals It is also the title of Jeff Shaara's best selling historical novel and the title of Ted Turner's soon-to-be released prequel to his motion picture epic, Gettysburg.

"Forty original paintings! This is indeed a very significant fine art exhibition. It is significant for the fine arts community. It is significant for Harrisburg, for South Central Pennsylvania and for the Civil War community in general. It is also validation of the credibility and the success of The National Civil War Museum, to be able to attract such an accomplished artist in exhibition," comments Chief Executive Officer George E. Hicks.

 

Mort Künstler Named Official Artist for Ron Maxwell's Gettysburg Prequel

(Hollywood) Mort Künstler, America's premier Civil War artist, has been named as the official artist for the eagerly awaited Ron Maxwell epic motion picture Gods and Generals. Maxwell, who is the film's director and writer, announced Künstler's selection for the honor.

	Mort Künstler on the set of Gods and Generals with Robert Duvall and Ron Maxwell in Hagerstown, MD

The film Gods and Generals is a prequel to the epic motion picture Gettysburg, which was also directed by Maxwell, and which has been praised as one of the most authentic war movies in the history of cinema. Gettysburg follows the lives of Northern and Southern officers and soldiers through the deadly drama of the Civil War's greatest battle. It is based on the immensely popular novel, Killer Angels, which was written by the late Michael Shaara.