Lincoln’s funeral procession
1865
Alfred Waud was essentially the 'embedded journalist' of the Civil War, sketching history in real-time for publications like Harper's Weekly. This energetic study captures the somber grandeur of Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train in 1865, showing the massive, draped catafalque adorned with heavy swags and tassels looming over the crowd. The scribbled figures and the note '6 Groups' at the bottom reveal this was a compositional blueprint for a larger newspaper illustration, helping a grieving nation visualize the procession from afar. It’s a raw, immediate glimpse into a moment of national mourning.
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