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The Art of Mort Künstler / The American Spirit / The Civil War
Here you will find a pictorial chronicle of the drama and excitement of American History. These paintings give the viewer an insight into the tumultuous life of this young nation that mere words cannot achieve.
Final Visit, The - limited edition print SOLD OUT General Robert E. Lee, Lexington, Virginia |
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
Paper Prints
Reproduction technique: Fine offset lithography on neutral pH archival quality paper using the finest fade-resistant inks.
Each print is numbered and signed by the artist and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Size: 15 1/2" x 19 1/2" • Overall Size: 19 1/2" x 22 1/2"
Signed & Numbered • Edition Size: 950
Signed Artist's Proof • Edition Size: 100
Mort Künstler's Comments
Ironically for a man of war, Robert E. Lee seems to have always had an inner peace. Having read so much about Lee, I believe there was probably never even a fleeting moment when he wondered what might have been if Stonewall Jackson had lived. Knowing Lee, I am sure he thought it was the will of Providence. Lee's attitude in his last years - and the ironic fact that he ended his life in the Virginia town where Stonewall Jackson was buried - are to me among the most intriguing aspects of Lee's life.
As I thought about a painting for my recent book, Jackson and Lee: Legends in Gray, I searched for a subject that would represent Lee's last years and also symbolize the remarkable relationship between Jackson and Lee. The idea for The Final Visit came in a letter from a Civil War art collector, Richard Scheer of Beaumont, Texas, who wrote me to suggest a painting of Lee at Jackson's grave. It was a well-timed suggestion. The subject was both historically accurate - Lee had ample opportunity to visit Jackson's grave while living in Lexington - and it was also perfectly symbolic of Lee and the relationship he enjoyed with Jackson.
The Final Visit emerged. I chose to paint Lee in wintertime, when a gray color scheme could heighten the drama of his visits to Jackson's gravesite. The wind whipping at Lee's cloak and Traveler's mane adds poignancy to the moment, symbolizing Lee's sense of loss, while perhaps also representing the fleeting length of time the two men spent together forging their strong alliance. I visited Jackson's gravesite with the general's foremost biographer, Professor James I. Robertson, Jr., and with the very knowledgeable Colonel Keith Gibson of VMI. The Jackson family plot and surrounding wrought-iron fence have changed little since Lee's day. This is a unique Civil War subject for me - the Lee of postwar peace - and I believe it is also a positive and appropriate way to remember America's most beloved general.
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