El burro meditabundo
1863
Edwin Forbes captured this weary mule in September 1863 while sketching on the front lines of the American Civil War. You can actually see his handwritten note at the bottom—'Culpeper Sept 28th 63'—pinning the drawing to a specific moment in Virginia. As an artist correspondent for the Union Army, Forbes often skipped the glory of battle to document the humble animals that kept the troops moving. This 'meditative' mule, with its bony hips and drooping head, perfectly captures the exhausting, unglamorous reality of military logistics.
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