A halt for twenty minutes.
1876
Edwin Forbes captures the exhausting reality of Civil War marches in this detailed etching, split into two scenes of weary soldiers. In the top half, a seemingly endless column of troops wades through a shallow river, while others take a brief breather on the muddy banks near a small bridge. The bottom half shows the aftermath of a long day's trek, with soldiers collapsed in deep sleep along a dirt road, surrounded by supply wagons and quiet woods. Forbes, who sketched these scenes firsthand as an artist correspondent, wanted to show the unglamorous, gritty daily life of the Union Army rather than just the glory of battle.
- Technique
- etching
Views: 6