CW Art

[marlin teat]

Re: CW Art

Gents:

If I may toot my own horn here. I have, over the years, collected Civil War art. As with many of you, Troiani is my favorite. While I don't have his most collectibles I do have a few that did take a little digging to get. The favorite in my collection is "Lone Star"..an amazing piece.

I also favor Rick Reeves. Mr. Reeves does not do a lot of Civil War art anymore. He does a lot of WWII art, which if any of you have had an opportunity to see is excellent.

I do have some of Rick Reeves' rarer pieces. "Twilight of an Army" and "Orhpan Brigade". If you look at these pieces vs. is more modern works you can see the development of his style and use of color.

I also enjoy picking up some of the lesser known works. I have a piece by Tom Lovell "Battle of the Crater". This is truly an amazing work.

Collecting Civil War art is one of my passions and I could go on and on here but I will not bore you with my soap box talk.

Thanks for letting me chime in on this.

Steve Johnston

There was a magazine-style book published during the Centenial that was illustrated by Tom Lovell that had some of the most amazing CW prints including "Battle of the Crater". I have always been impressed by Lovell's realism, although others such as Troiani may have surpassed him in research. I believe it was by the Saturday Evening Post or maybe Life magazine. Anyway, I've been looking for this book for years.

I've also been searching for an affordable copy of his Crater print so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

ps: The Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, Ga. (www.boothmuseum.org ) has a large collection of Troiani originals on display.
Troiani joked that the Booth has more of his art than he does. Cartersville is about 15-20 miles north of Pickett's Mill and just a few miles from Altoona Pass on Highway 41.

[Sweatshop_Tailor]

Re: CW Art

[QUOTE=marlin teat]There was a magazine-style book published during the Centenial that was illustrated by Tom Lovell that had some of the most amazing CW prints including "Battle of the Crater". I have always been impressed by Lovell's realism, although others such as Troiani may have surpassed him in research. I believe it was by the Saturday Evening Post or maybe Life magazine. Anyway, I've been looking for this book for years.


Hey Marlin Teat,
You are speaking of the book that got me into the Civil War when I was 7 years old! :tounge_sm I got in while in vacation at G'burg with my parents in 1974. I have still got it, and believe it still contains some of the best 'contemporary' Civil War art ever made (especially Lovell's crater). The reference is:
Great Battles of the Civil War, by the editors of LIFE, published by TIME in 1961.
My copy has acheived the status of 'Holy Relic' on my book shelf -- well worth searching for a copy!

Aside from this I am no big fan of contemporary artists. I prefer the stuff by the men who really saw it. If prints of the work of Conrad Wise Chapman or Winslow Homer were more widely available they would hang on my wall!

Regards,
K.C. MacDonald
Lazy Jacks Mess

http://lazyjacks.org.uk/

[DougCooper]

Re: CW Art

It has been interesting to see the evolution of this genre over the past 10-15 years. I actually had a side business of sorts in Troiani prints, investing in each one (sometimes 2-3) as they were issued and then selling on the secondary market for a profit through the various galleries or individuals. Interestingly, it was not living historians but mostly tourists at the parks who bought them. My best customer was a guy who owned several Pizza restaurants in Northern Virginia and put them on the walls. I always kept a few of course but like most of us have limited wall space.

The market has become somewhat flatter for Don's work over the past few years. Not sure if that is from competition, price or simply because the best "themes" have been painted already. It appears that Gettysburg CS and the oldest prints are still king, with other CS and US Zouave/Irish 2nd followed by US anything, in terms of secondary market value. It takes much longer for one of Don's prints to sell out these days. I no longer buy them accept those few that really grab me. His books have now become a major component of his business. Don is still the master of "getting it right." There is no comparison in my opinion between his work (research and technique) and the "painters of reenactors" like Kunstler, Stivers, Gallon, etc. I got to spend some time contacting and working with some of them for the Army War College annual gift choice. Kuntsler's attitude was particularly off-putting.

For pure "period feel" and that indefinable connection to Winslow Homer, Forbes and Waud...Keith Rocco is my favorite. Keith has guts - he paints what he feels and is not afraid to paint an entire scene where most of the soldiers have their backs to the viewer. I still don't have any wall space, but if I did, more of Keith's would be hanging.

Tom Lovell was a genius. Time for another reissue of his work.

[Rick Keating]

Re: CW Art

I'm a Keith Rocco fan simply because his paintings seem to have more feeling in my opinion. Keith paints in the "old school" style. I'd call Rocco a painter, others like Troiani, Gallon, etc. I'd call illustrators. Their work more resembles technical illustrations than paintings.

I prefer a style like Winslow Homer which looks like a painting compared to a Troiani which looks like it could have been a photograph and run through Photoshop.

Being interested primarily in the Western Theater I have made an effort to collect all of Keith Rocco's prints of the Western Theater.

I know everyone has to make a living but Mort Kunstler (painting a week, or so it seems) leaves me cold. My opinion is most of his stuff is... not good.

Rick Keating
wish I could paint as bad as Kunstler :D

[celtfiddler]

Re: CW Art

I have one Henry Kidd print. I can't afford Troiani, Kunstler or the rest of the gang. I will second Mr Keating's comments about not caring for the majority of Kuntsler's work--I'm not fond of mass produced work like his

[79th N.Y.S.M.]

Re: CW Art

This explains it....

http://www.talonsvcs.com/villagegallery/troiani/dt_highlander.htm

Mines on Don Troiani.

[DougCooper]

79th NYSM Troiani

That is a good piece by Don - wish that the local 79th NYSM reenactors would read the fine print and stop wearing the early 61 uniform (trews and glengarry) for every event out here. Cheapens the impression.

I did not realize Kuntsler was that prolific...no wonder there is so much mediocre stuff on the market. Not sure Mort cares though :wink_smil

Good point on the difference between "artists" and "illustrators."

Anybody own a Donna Nagle?

[tomarch]

Re: CW Art

Go over to JonahWorld and read what he has to say about C.W.art.

Personally, I'm waiting for the series of lagre sad-eyed Confed. Generals, painted on purple velvet.. :D

[K Bartsch]

Re: CW Art

Go over to JonahWorld and read what he has to say about C.W.art.

Personally, I'm waiting for the series of lagre sad-eyed Confed. Generals, painted on purple velvet.. :D

I wondered when someone would bring that little Jonah Begone piece up. :D My sentiments exactly. I bought a few myself early on but have gotten to the place where I too asked the question "why spend hundreds on a picture of an illustration?" That said, they can often be bought pretty reasonably on the secondary market from folks who have stacks of them and need to shift a few. Picked up a couple myself way under the MSRP that way. Just my opinion mind you, but although they're fun to decorate your den with, unless you're fortunate enough to own the original (which I'm not) they aren't ever going to be worth much as an "investment," particularly in the broader art market.

Cordially,

[riedb711]

Re: CW Art

We Have Serveral Mort Kunstler Prints Lining The Walls Of Our Home. We Have A Beautiful Pencil Drawing Done By Dale Gallon. We Have Been To Our Local Museum To View Mort Kunstler's Original Pieces And Have Also Been To A Mort Kunstler Book Signing. We Had The Pleasure Of Having Mort Kunstler Sign Serveral Of Our Books And Prints. Barry Riedel Co H. 119 Nyv

[SCSecesh]

Re: CW Art

Neill said it but I haven't seen any other's mention Dan Nance. The detail in his images are as good as they get!

[Enfilade]

Dan Nance

Dan Nance is the man!

Most of the usual suspects have paintings that look like reenactors. At least Dan's look like soldiers in real scenes you can imagine.

Mark Berrier
North State Rifles
combinations@northstate.net

[79th N.Y.S.M.]

Re: CW Art

That is a good piece by Don - wish that the local 79th NYSM reenactors would read the fine print and stop wearing the early 61 uniform (trews and glengarry) for every event out here. Cheapens the impression.

I did not realize Kuntsler was that prolific...no wonder there is so much mediocre stuff on the market. Not sure Mort cares though

Good point on the difference between "artists" and "illustrators."

Anybody own a Donna Nagle?

Yep. Would this be more authentic?
(Link Deleted, Blatent Farbery)

[Tom Ezell]

Re: CW Art

I like Troiani's work, and eventually bought both of his books (no prints, though). Wish he would do a little more Army of Tennessee work, there's a market out here somewhere...

When comes to actually buying and hanging prints, I bought Andy Thomas. I like his painting style, and his subjects seal the deal. Hanging in the office is Thomas' Wilson's Creek and Prairie Grove prints, along with an original oil of the Heidelberg castle and Alte Bruecke that I bought one night at the Heilbronn officer's club back in 1980. Willi the bartender framed it for me...

Tom

[13thnhv]

Re: CW Art

I own 2 Troianis: Don't Give an Inch and Fire on Caroline St. My next one, when I can afford it, will be Barksdale's Charge.