The Soldier's Farewell (from McGuire Scrapbook)
Original title: The Soldier's Farewell (from McGuire Scrapbook)
kurzbeschreibung
Emanuel Leutze drew "Der Abschied des Soldaten" in 1859, capturing the charged moment of parting between a soldier and a woman. Executed in ink and graphite on thin, cream-colored laid paper, the sheet belongs to the McGuire Sketchbook.
Description
A man and a woman are locked in a tight embrace. The soldier thrusts a weapon upward, apparently flinging it into the air, while the woman appears in a long-sleeved top and trousers. A dog stands nearby in an agitated pose. Behind the figures, quick strokes suggest a house or some structure. The signature "Washington 4/59" sits at the lower right.
Context
The drawing dates to 1859, when the United States stood on the brink of civil war. Leutze, best known for "Washington Crossing the Delaware," was in the country at the time. This sheet forms part of the McGuire Sketchbook, which contains several of the artist's studies. The inscription "Washington 4/59" names Washington, D.C., in April 1859 as the place of origin.
Impact
The man's sweeping posture and the firmness of the embrace generate an immediate tension. Because the drawing stays sketchy, the farewell feels at once intimate and fleeting. The dog adds liveliness and a note of naturalness to the picture.
Technique
Ink and graphite on thin, cream-colored laid paper printed as letterpress paper allow both precise contours and softer tonal values. Combining the two media sets sharp lines beside delicate shading. As part of a sketchbook, the sheet reveals the loose, characteristic hand of Leutze's working drawings.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)