North Carolina Capitol Farewell, Raleigh by Mort Kunstler Classic Giclee Canvas Limited Edition not Framed
Romantic Scene with the North Carolina Capitol Building, Raleigh, NC during the Civil War prominent in the background.
Very Limited - Stop by Ashley's Art Gallery to view this great artwork.
Classic Edition Canvas Signed and Numbered
Size: 21" x 32” • Edition Size: 50
Release Date: August 2013
Mort Künstler's Comments:
In 1995, I had my first one-man exhibition of original paintings at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. This was a special event where I unveiled and signed limited edition prints of the painting Winter Riders. That release was a huge success and after eighteen years, I will be having another show at the museum with more than thirty originals and another unveiling and print signing. What a pleasure this is for me, as my work continues to go full circle. With high hopes of repeating the wonderful reception of years ago, I decided to reprise some of the same elements in this new painting, Capitol Farewell.
I always love painting snow scenes, particularly those that take place at night. This always challenges me to play with light and shadow and use a wintery palette of colors. This chilly scene is set in front of the Capitol in Raleigh, as it was in the 1995 painting. This view is taken from the Hillsborough Street side on the very same night, February 5, 1863, just around the corner from where Winter Riders takes place. Of special note is that the iron fence that surrounded the Capitol grounds at that time was removed in 1899 and moved to the Raleigh City Cemetery, where it remains to this day.
The Confederate Army used the grounds around the Capitol during the Civil War as an encampment. The First National flag and the North Carolina state flag fly over the building as a young couple say goodbye, perhaps for the last time. Scenes of this sort took place thousands of times all over the country, both North and South. They still take place today as loved ones bid our servicemen and women goodbye as they depart to fulfill their duty to country. I have attempted to capture the drama of the moment, as well as show the difficulties of the soldier’s life even hundreds of miles behind the lines. This scene is one that depicts both romance and fortitude.
Accumulating a vast amount of information over the years of my many visits to the sites in my paintings has truly been a wonderful education, as well as a pleasure. I hope I have been able to pass some of this knowledge on to you, the viewer, as I paint the last few paintings of my Civil War career. It has been a great privilege for me to capture so many moments that led to the reunification of our country. By the time I complete a painting, I feel as though I know these characters and I hope that you feel the same way, too.
