Shenandoah Strategy

This is Mort Künstler limited edition print - Shenandoah Strategy. Jackson at Glen Burnie, Winchester, Va., Winter 1862.

LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
Paper Prints

Reproduction technique: Fine offset lithography on neutral pH archival quality paper using the finest fade-resistant inks.
Each print is numbered and signed by the artist and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Image Size: 19” x 29” • Overall Size: 24” x 33”
Signed & Numbered • Edition Size: 350
Signed Artist’s Proof • Edition Size: 50

Giclée Canvas Prints
Reproduction technique: Giclées are printed with the finest archival pigmented inks on canvas.
Each print is numbered and signed by the artist and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Signature Edition Size: 18” x 27”
Signed & Numbered • Edition Size: 50
Artist’s Proof • Edition Size: 10

Classic Edition Size: 21” x 32”
Signed & Numbered • Edition Size: 50
Artist’s Proof • Edition Size: 10

Premier Edition Size: 26” x 40”
Signed & Numbered • Edition Size: 15
Artist’s Proof • Edition Size: 5

Collector’s Edition Size: 37” x 56”
Signed & Numbered • Edition Size: 5
Artist’s Proof • Edition Size: 2

Historical Information
By January of 1862, Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson had already established a reputation as a tenacious thinker. Both revered and feared for his strategic prowess, Jackson had taken the same studious work ethic that had served him as a teacher at the Virginia Military Institute, and applied it in the field.

The past year had been filled with both victory and defeat for the general’s beloved Confederacy and the coming year would witness his greatest achievement, later christened the “Valley Campaign.” A brilliant and aggressive tactician, Jackson relied heavily on his maps, which were important implements in his arsenal of weapons. He grew dependent on the mapmaking skills of his talented cartographer, Jedediah Hotchkiss.

Following the successful New Year’s Day Romney Expedition in which Jackson’s men pushed back a concentration of Federal troops and destroyed nearly 100 miles of the B&O railroad tracks while commandeering stores of confiscated supplies, Jackson returned to his temporary home in Winchester, Virginia.

Although his winter headquarters were located at the Graham house, Jackson sometimes stopped at Glen Burnie, home of the prestigious Wood and Glass families. This estate was constructed in the late 1700s and served as an encampment for Confederate cavalry and artillery units. The surrounding acreage was fought over during all three battles of Winchester in 1862, 1863 and 1864. Jackson and his wife also visited the Glen Burnie grounds on occasion during January of 1862.

Mort Künstler’s Comments
I’m pleased beyond words to have been able to share my enthusiasm and passion for the history of the Civil War with you all. How fortunate I’ve been to be able to pursue a career doing something that I love to do. However, searching for new ideas about the Civil War has become increasingly difficult as I have completed over 350 paintings on the subject to date. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to say that Shenandoah Strategy is the first of a series of eight paintings of the Civil War that I will be doing over the next two and a half years. The eighth and last painting of the series will be released on the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War in April of 2015 as my final Civil War print.

Shenandoah Strategy is the first in this farewell series and I believe it to be one of my best. I have always enjoyed painting “Stonewall” Jackson. I often portray the general within a snow scene while using my favorite kinds of dramatic lighting. This scene is set in front of Glen Burnie, Winchester, Va., site of the beautiful Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, where, if all goes well, I will be having an exhibition of more than 60 original paintings in the near future. I have painted the near wing of Glen Burnie the way it looks today so that the viewer can relate better to it. It had a slightly different window arrangement in 1862.