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Conrad Wise Chapman (American, 1842-1910), 'Fort Sumter Interior Sunrise,' Dec. 9, 1864. Image courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy.

Museum of the Confederacy paintings join exhibit at Smithsonian

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Conrad Wise Chapman (American, 1842-1910), 'Fort Sumter Interior Sunrise,' Dec. 9, 1864. Image courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy.
Conrad Wise Chapman (American, 1842-1910), ‘Fort Sumter Interior Sunrise,’ Dec. 9, 1864. Image courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy.

RICHMOND, Va. – Nine of the entire set of 31 paintings of the harbor and defenses of Charleston, South Carolina, by Confederate soldier Conrad Wise Chapman and acquired by the Museum of the Confederacy from the artist, are to be displayed in the exhibition “The Civil War and American Art,” presented by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The nine artworks to be exhibited include the famous painting of the submarine H. L. Hunley. This exhibition, organized by Eleanor Jones Harvey, senior curator, also contains paintings by Winslow Homer, Eastman Johnson, Frederic Church, and Sanford Gifford. The exhibit will open to the public Nov. 16, 2012, and run through April 28, 2013.

S. Waite Rawls III, President and CEO of the Museum of the Confederacy stated: “Conrad Wise Chapman was the best of the soldier artists. We are pleased that all of his Charleston wartime paintings are in our collection and nine will be in the Smithsonian’s exhibit.”

Chapman, who had been living in Europe before returning to America to serve in the Confederate army, was commissioned in 1863 by the Chief of Staff to General P.G.T. Beauregard to make sketches of Charleston Harbor for Beauregard’s use in planning its defense. After completing the sketches the artist returned to Europe to live in Rome. Using the sketches, the paintings were completed the following year by Chapman and his father.

Each of the 31 paintings can be found on the Museum of the Confederacy’s website www.moc.org under Exhibitions/Online.

Publications, online features, an audio tour, public programs, and educational initiatives are also planned. Information will be available on the Smithsonian’s website.

About The Museum of the Confederacy:

The Museum of the Confederacy is a private, nonprofit educational institution. The Museum and White House are located in downtown Richmond in the historic Court End neighborhood, in addition to its new location in Appomattox. The Museum owns the world’s largest collection of artifacts and documents related to the Confederate States of America.

Contact: 855-649-1861, online: www.moc.org

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Conrad Wise Chapman (American, 1842-1910), 'Fort Sumter Interior Sunrise,' Dec. 9, 1864. Image courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy.
Conrad Wise Chapman (American, 1842-1910), ‘Fort Sumter Interior Sunrise,’ Dec. 9, 1864. Image courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy.
Conrad Wise Chapman (American, 1842-1910), 'Submarine Torpedo Boat HL Hundley.' Image courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy.
Conrad Wise Chapman (American, 1842-1910), ‘Submarine Torpedo Boat HL Hundley.’ Image courtesy of The Museum of the Confederacy.