On guard – Aug. 27, 1863

1863

Edwin Forbes captured the unglamorous side of the American Civil War, sketching soldiers right in their camps rather than from a safe distance. Dated August 27, 1863, this field drawing shows two Union infantrymen on picket duty, looking weary in their heavy wool uniforms and kepi hats. Forbes worked as a special artist for Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, traveling with the Army of the Potomac to document the boredom and fatigue of war just as much as the fighting. The loose, energetic lines give it an immediate feel, like a 19th-century photojournalist's quick snapshot.

Technique: graphite sketch
Material: paper

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