The Union Cavalry and Artillery Starting in Pursuit of the Rebels up the Yorktown Turnpike (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VI)
Original title: The Union Cavalry and Artillery Starting in Pursuit of the Rebels up the Yorktown Turnpike (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VI)
kurzbeschreibung
Riders move out, a column of horsemen and horses following behind: Winslow Homer's 1862 wood engraving shows a unit of Union cavalry and artillery in pursuit of the Confederates. This Civil War military scene, rendered in fine gray tones, has the feel of an eyewitness report.
Description
Several uniformed riders dominate the foreground, their horses walking or trotting. Behind them, more riders and horses form a column. Tents and simple buildings in the distance suggest a military camp. The layout is tiered and dynamic, with foreground and background clearly separated. The gray tones stay even, avoiding harsh contrasts, while uniforms and horses are detailed.
Context
On May 17, 1862, the engraving appeared in Harper's Weekly, one of the leading illustrated newspapers in the U.S. during the Civil War. The print refers to the Peninsula Campaign, in which Union troops under General McClellan besieged Confederate positions at Yorktown. Homer was working as a war correspondent at the time, recording scenes of military life that he turned into wood engravings from sketches made at the front.
Impact
The closeness to the action is almost reportorial: riders in motion, precise equipment, no pathos. This matter-of-factness makes the scene vivid and puts the viewer directly into the Civil War era.
Technique
For the wood engraving, the motif was cut into a woodblock and then printed on paper. Fine lines and graduated gray tones attest to the craftsmanship of this printing technique. The sheet measures 27.5 x 40.9 cm, the image itself 23.5 x 34.9 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)