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The following article appeared in
The Journal on April 22, 2002

	Broad Stroke of History
	Civil War arist Mort Kunstler signs a print of his newest painting With a Rebel Yell for Charlie McAtee of Martinsburg at the Antietam Gallery in the Martinsburg Mall. Journal Photo by Jason Turner

Mort Kunstler brought out fans on a rainy day to view a new painting.

by Michael Driscoll
Journal Staff Writer

Martinsburg - With his four-hour appearance at the Martinsburg Mall having officially ended shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, artist Mort Kunstler could have been forgiven for asking late-arriving fans to wait a moment while he sat down to catch his breath.

Instead, he hopped off the bench, took a magic marker in hand, and signed another print, this one for a gentleman wearing a tattered Confederate cap who said he wanted to shake Kunstler's hand and quietly insisted, "I'm one of your greatest fans."

Being an artist is a lonely business," Kunstler said, explaining why he enjoys days like Sunday, "Hey - this is fun."

Kunstler's appearance at Antietam Gallery marked the unveiling of his latest work, With a Rebel Yell, an expansive rendering of the Second Battle of Manassas that captures Southern soldiers charging the Federals and letting loose the war cry that has become legendary.

Kunstler stood before a framed print - nearly three dozen copies of which were sold on Sunday, according to employee Kim Anderson - and pointed to the details.

"You see the mouths open?" he asked, gesturing to the Rebel soldiers fixed in mid-shout. The painting is the first of a collections he's undertaking for a book to accompany the film Gods and Generals.

With A Rebel Yell

"They've given me a bunch of stills to use as inspiration," said Kunstler, who added that he's visited the set during filming, as well. Altogether, the book will contain at least 30 paintings that have never appeared in volume form, he said.

"We've had a lot of success with books," said Kunstler, figuring that total book sales of his artwork top 300,000.

Kunstler selected With a Rebel Yell as his first work in the series because of its broad scope, he said - a battlefield depiction featuring both sides. Three other prints from the film will be released over the next two years, he said, and will focus more precisely on leading characters from the film. Copies were being sold Sunday for $200.

"I've been painting for 50 years," Kunstler said, as he grabbed one of his books off a display table and thumbed through artwork illustrating the history of the United States.

Though he's painted an array of historical subjects in the past, his focus these days is the Civil War - which he said makes him particularly popular in these parts. "I think the farther south I go, the more fans I have," he joked.

His recent trip south included a stop at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA., which will host an exhibition of his work that opens on Memorial Day, according to Kunstler.

A stop in Berryville, Va., was successful, too, he said.

Kunstler spoke fondly of growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and said that, as much as he enjoys meeting fans, it's always nice to make it back home.

"I'd rather be painting pictures," said Kunstler.

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