Holding the Line at All Hazards

Artist William Gilbert Gaul painted Holding the Line at All Hazards in 1882. The painting, which was awarded a Gold Medal by the American Art Association, depicts a brutal battle during the American Civil War.

From the article "Creating a Brotherly War" by Marc S. Smith: Artist Gilbert Gaul was only ten years old at the end of the war. During the first fifteen years of his career, he almost exclusively painted scenes from the Civil War, and, even if he was from a Unionist family from the state of New Jersey, he most often chose to depict southern soldiers... After the Civil War, the bravery, independence and tenacity of the Confederate soldier were developed and glorified... In Holding the Line at All Hazards, Gaul depicts the courage of the Southerners and the presence of their flag. None flee their position and the general, standing straight, his pistol in his hand next to his heart, stands fast and is ready to hold the line with his life. The Confederate flag is here directly associated, not with the will of rebellion, but with the courage and the value of the Confederate soldier.

Artist: William Gilbert Gaul
Date: 1882
Original medium: Oil on canvas
Orientation: Horizontal/Landscape
Image restored & enhanced by Rebel Seed Studio