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By Allison Brophy Champion
Staff Writer

	Painter Mort Künstler takes questions from students at St. Luke's Lutheran School Friday afternoon. St. Luke's was one of many stops for the artist while he was in town Friday to help kickoff Culpeper Remembrance Days.

A professional artist for more than 50 year, Mort Künstler does not intend to put down his brush anytime soon.

"No, I love it so much; I'm embarrassed to admit that I can't wait to get to work in the morning," he said. "I can't imagine myself being retired because if it was, I'd retire and paint pictures."

His home-based studio in Oyster Bay, N.Y. is where the magic happens. Künstler - best known nationwide these past 20 years for his Civil War paintings - took a break from his work Friday to engage in two days of historic celebration in Culpeper.

Künstler's latest masterpiece, "Before the Ball," featured downtown Culpeper on June 4, 1863. In the painting - a prequel to 1998's "Candlelight and Roses" - a ball is about to commence and a crowd has gathered outside on West Davis Street for the arrival of Gen. Jeb Stuart.

"From what we read, there's no question there was a flamboyance to Stuart and that rubbed off on his whole corps," he said. "Essentially, he was like the rock star of his era. He was Elvis."

Less than a week after the ball, the dancing shoes would be off as the largest cavalry battle of all time waged nearby at Brandy Station.

Künstler was inspired to paint "Before the Ball" about a year ago while passing through Culpeper with a friend.

Culpeper Musuem of History representatives, from left, treasurer Elizabeth O'Reilly, Board President Carolyn Smith and Executive Director Zann Miner receive a donated print of "Before the Ball" Friday morning. Painter Mort Künstler and Skip Price, far right, of the Village Frameworks delivered the print to help kickoff this weekend's "Culpeper Remembrance Days" activities.

"I spotted the courthouse and thought it was just a beautiful, beautiful building," he said. "And I got all excited about it and said 'I've got to paint this building.'"

There was a slight problem, however, as the existing courthouse on West Davis was not built until 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War. Künstler was undeterred. He tracked down original photographs of the streetscape from 1862 and was able to recreate the Civil War scene, including the original courthouse.

Künstler admitted that he doesn't always visit the localities featured in his paintings.

"I go to the ones worth going to," he said, "where there's something to see."

Culpeper was "the cockpit of the Civil War," said Künstler, central to both Richmond and Washington, D.C.

The renowned artist won't get to see much of Culpeper beyond the downtown this weekend - his two days away from home are jam packed with activities. However, on Thursday night, Künstler had the opportunity to visit neighboring Rappahannock County.

"And we dined at one of the most exquisite places I've ever had dinner in my life - the Inn at Little Washington," he said, adding, "It's just about as nice a place as I've ever been."

Künstler does not claim to be a historian though all of his paintings the past 50 years have featured great moments in American history. When he paints, Künstler is concerned with snapshots.

"I become an expert on 10 seconds in time so that I know it was wood shingles on that roof of the building I'm painting," he said. "I have to find out the time of day, which way the wind was blowing."

Before turning most of his focus to the Civil War, Künstler had a long career as an illustrator - his work was featured in the likes of National Geographic and Newsweek. "The American Spirit," first published in 1986, chronicles his collection of art.

In 1981, Künstler was commissioned by CBS for a series on paintings on the miniseries "The Blue and the Gray." These paintings were his first of the Civil War.

	"Before the "Ball," Mort Künstler's latest piece of art depicting Civil War life, will be unveiled today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Depot. Künstler will be on hand to sign prints and books. The painting portrays Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill's boyhood home and the old Culpeper Courthouse with guests arriving for Gen. Jeb Stuart's ball on June 4, 1863.

That same year, he was also hired by NASA to do a series on the American space shuttle. The research for that assignment - watching the space shuttle take off and touch down - was one of the most exciting of his life, said Künstler.

These days, the artist spends most days at home doing what he loves most - painting in his studio. He said he doesn't go out often, but that when he does venture out to attend special events like the one in Culpeper, "it's nice to know that people are looking at my pictures."

"I love every painting. I'm working on it, and I think it's the greatest painting I've ever done when I'm working on it," said Künstler, who listed Tom Lovell, Norman Rockwell and Rembrandt among his influences. "Of course, it's not true, they can't all be the greatest, but I get so involved when I'm working on it, I think that."

The New York born artist said he doesn't get flack for being a Yankee from his Southern fans and that his native state accepts him for what he is - a historic artist.

"First of all, I was born in the south - South Brooklyn," laughed Künstler, adding, "I paint history, I could care less what people think. In the south, I'm a southerner and in New York, I'm a southerner."

Even with all the recent controversy surrounding the Confederate battle flag, he said his work is not affected.

East Davis Street, as seen above, has undergone extensive renovations from private donations totaling more than $25 million.

"Whatever I paint, I paint the way it was the best I can do it," said Künstler," and no one ever criticizes it, because they know I'm just trying to tell them truth - trying to open a window on the past for both sides."

His fame as an artist has been gratifying, said Künstler, but it's not all peaches and cream.

"Believe me, I still have to take the garbage out after dinner," he said.

Today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Künstler will host an artist's signing at the Depot.

The limited edition print of "Before the Ball," of which only 750 were made, is still available for purchase through Village Frameworks & Gallery, but they are going fast. Skip Price, co-owner of Village Frameworks, said Friday that nearly 150 of their 200 copies had already been sold.

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