The Civil War: Frederic Church Makes a Statement by Betsy Miller
Before cameras were common, the cognoscenti learned about the
physical world from paintings. Salons and art openings weren’t
just for creative contemplation, they were opportunities to be
educated. And the paintings of Frederic Edwin Church, among the
country’s premier artists, were each received by an eager public
as though they were breaking news. So it made headlines when
Church changed the title of his 1861 New York City gallery show
from The Icebergs to The North, a statement of support for
troops heading off to battle the South. The Union’s tattered
red, white and blue, a result of the bombardment of Fort Sumter,
had just been displayed at a rally in Manhattan’s Union Square.
Along with the rest of the crowd, Church was outraged. All wars
are controversial. And the Civil War was one that engendered
exceptionally strong feelings on both sides. Well known figures
of the period used their notoriety to publicize their positions.
Church was no