Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
The Battle of Wilson's Creek
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1920
Dimensions:
72 × 144 in. (182.9 × 365.8 cm)
Missouri State Capitol
Accession number: SUPP2000.1137
Research Number: NCW: 1137
InscribedLower left: N. C. WYETH / 1920
References
"Sunday Morning Rotogravure Picture Section," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan. 9, 1921, illustration (section unpaginated); "New Mural Paintings by N. C. Wyeth for the Missouri State Capitol," Ladies Home Journal, vol. XXXVIII, no. 3 (March 1921), illustration in color p. 20; Architecture, vol. XLIII, no. 6 (June 1921), frontispiece illustration in b/w; "Decorations in the Missouri State Capitol, Jefferson City," American Magazine of Art, vol. XII, no. 7 (July 1921), p. 243, illus. b/w p. 245; Emily Grant Hutchins, "Art in Missouri's Capitol," The International Studio, vol. LXXVII, no. 312 (May 1923), illustration in b/w p. 98; William Wood and Ralph H. Gabriel, The Pageant of America (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1925-29), vol. 7, illustration in b/w p. 29; John Pickard, "Report of the Capitol Decoration Commission," submitted Dec. 1, 1928 (published in "The Missouri State Capitol: A Collection of Historic Information about Its Architectural Design," (Missouri State Senate:1989), illustration in b/w p. 126, see also p. 125; Henry C. Pitz, "N. C. Wyeth," American Heritage Magazine, vol. XVI, no. 6 (Oct. 1965), illustration in color ps. 44-45; James I. Robertson, Jr., "The Concise Illustrated History of the Civil War...," American History Illustrated, vol. VI, no. 2 (May 1971), illustration in b/w p. 12; Betsy James Wyeth, ed., The Wyeths, The Letters of N. C. Wyeth, 1901-1945 (Boston: Gambit, 1971), ps. 655, 660, 665-666; Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, 1972), p. 159, illustration in color p. 158; Bob Priddy, "What a Capitol Idea," Missouri Life Magazine, (March-April 1982), illustration p. 20; Kate F. Jennings. N. C. Wyeth (New York, NY: Brompton Books Corp., Crescent Books, 1992), illustration in color p. 74; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), M.9, p. 599, 600
Curatorial Remarks"This, in the early part of the Civil War, was one of the most important and desperate battles in the long struggle for control of Missouri. It was fought August 8, 1861; the opening gun from Totten's battery signaled its beginning on the morning of a hot summer's day, the battle lasting until well into noon...It was the deadly work of the shotguns with which the men under General Sterling Price (on horseback at the right in the painting) were armed and the desperate valor of the soldiers on both sides that made the Battle of Wilson's Creek one of the bloodiest in history. The total casualties in five hours' fighting were 2,547, this in an engagement of less than 20,000 men.
The painting represents a view of the fighting at about 8:30 in the morning. Bloody Hill, where the casualties were 25%, is in the central background. Over it is the smoke from Totten's battery. In the foreground the Blue (on the left) and the Gray (on the right) are fighting on the natural barrier of the little placid stream from which the battle gets its name. The smoke hangs low over the battle. The sycamore at the right casts its pleasant shadow across the quiet water. Behind its great trunk a soldier has staggered and fallen. The bullet marks in the bark above him are the soldier's autograph and his epitaph." -from Report of the Capitol Decoration Committee, submitted Dec. 1, 1928.
;The contract Wyeth signed is dated March 30, 1920; his fee was $7,000 for both paintings. The artist's correspondence indicates that the sketches for the commission were completed and approved by Aug. 1, 1920. The mural itself was begun about Sept. 7th and completed Oct. 20. On Dec. 3 it was shipped along with the other mural to Jefferson City, and installed without the artist's oversight. Wyeth visited early in January to touch-up the work prior to the dedication.
NCW 1838 and NCW 1139 are preliminary paintings for this commission.The Brandywine River Museum holds an archival photograph of the canvas (3213), probably taken before it left the studio, and a lantern slide made from the same exposure (NCWS.95.1825.2); a badly damaged photogravure of the mural (10 1/2 x 19 1/8 inches), mounted on heavy cardboard and probably matted at one time, was found among the papers in the artist's studio.
Wyeth did travel to Missouri to visit the site of the battle, writing to his wife on May 4, 1920, a description of the town of Wilson's Creek (NCW to Carolyn Bockius Wyeth, dated "Tuesday evening," WFA), "a real frontier settlement still, with its weather-worn houses and one store and a box-car for a station."
The painting represents a view of the fighting at about 8:30 in the morning. Bloody Hill, where the casualties were 25%, is in the central background. Over it is the smoke from Totten's battery. In the foreground the Blue (on the left) and the Gray (on the right) are fighting on the natural barrier of the little placid stream from which the battle gets its name. The smoke hangs low over the battle. The sycamore at the right casts its pleasant shadow across the quiet water. Behind its great trunk a soldier has staggered and fallen. The bullet marks in the bark above him are the soldier's autograph and his epitaph." -from Report of the Capitol Decoration Committee, submitted Dec. 1, 1928.
;The contract Wyeth signed is dated March 30, 1920; his fee was $7,000 for both paintings. The artist's correspondence indicates that the sketches for the commission were completed and approved by Aug. 1, 1920. The mural itself was begun about Sept. 7th and completed Oct. 20. On Dec. 3 it was shipped along with the other mural to Jefferson City, and installed without the artist's oversight. Wyeth visited early in January to touch-up the work prior to the dedication.
NCW 1838 and NCW 1139 are preliminary paintings for this commission.The Brandywine River Museum holds an archival photograph of the canvas (3213), probably taken before it left the studio, and a lantern slide made from the same exposure (NCWS.95.1825.2); a badly damaged photogravure of the mural (10 1/2 x 19 1/8 inches), mounted on heavy cardboard and probably matted at one time, was found among the papers in the artist's studio.
Wyeth did travel to Missouri to visit the site of the battle, writing to his wife on May 4, 1920, a description of the town of Wilson's Creek (NCW to Carolyn Bockius Wyeth, dated "Tuesday evening," WFA), "a real frontier settlement still, with its weather-worn houses and one store and a box-car for a station."
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:Photography directly from art work
Photo Credit:Lloyd Grotjan