What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

The man is carrying the wounded boy away from the battlefield. The boy is playing the drums to inspire the Union effort to continue the fight.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

The man is directly in the center and the boy is the highest person in the painting because he is a symbol of hope. The lighter colors in the upper half of the painting embody the youth and innocence of the boy and his uplifting spirit. The lower half in contrast is made up of dark colors to represent the death and pain of the war (dead body, wounded leg).

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

They placed it next to president Lincoln and other civil war artworks. Bringing together all of the civil war art into one section that corresponds with the time line created by the room.

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