Angel of Maryes Heights
He’s the premier historical artist in America – and now he focuses mainly on the American Civil War. When Mort Künstler began his current emphasis on Civil War art in the early 1980s, he had already accomplished more than a half-dozen artists could hope to accomplish in a collective lifetime. From portraits of prehistoric American life to the odyssey of the space shuttle, Mort Künstler had painted America’s story – and was already renowned as “the premier historical artist in America.” When he placed his focus on Civil War art, Mr. Künstler quickly established himself as the country’s most-collected Civil War artist, and earned unprecedented acclaim within the genre of Civil War art.
“Mort Künstler is the foremost Civil War artist of our time — if not of all time,” says Dr. James I. Robertson Jr., the dean of Civil War historians and the author of the celebrated biography, Stonewall Jackson. “To study his paintings,” says Robertson, “is to simply see history alive.” Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James McPherson concurs. “Of all the artists working in the Civil War field,” he observes, “none captures the human element, the aura of leadership, the sense of being there and sharing in the drama, quite like Mort Künstler. He has that enviable talent of being able to re-create history on canvas and to translate events into art.”
Mr. Künstler’s talent and training were nurtured from an early age. After studying art at Brooklyn College, U.C.L.A. and Pratt Institute, he became a successful illustrator in New York where he received assignments from book and magazine publishers. An important part of his training resulted from his affiliation with National Geographic Magazine. It was through their assignments of historical subject matter that he learned the value of working with historians so that accuracy was firmly imbued into his concept.
In 1982, a commission from CBS-TV to do a painting for the mini-series, The Blue and the Gray directed Mr. Künstler’s interest towards the Civil War. Although the research was painstaking, he devoted much time to making sure that his painting The High Water Mark was meticulously correct. The painting was unveiled at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum on July 2, 1988 in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the battle. Since then, Mr. Künstler has been concentrating on Civil War subject matter.
Mr. Künstler was selected as the Official Artist of the Ohio State Bicentennial, and his painting of General John Hunt Morgan’s raid through Ohio was featured in a long-term exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Mr. Künstler continues to participate in a variety of charitable causes that are close to his heart. In 2001, following America’s 9-11 tragedy, he contributed one of his most popular limited edition prints – “Old Glory” – for a fund-raiser by the American Red Cross. The non-profit program raised more than $150,000 for the Red Cross to use on behalf of the victims of the 9-11 attack. He continues to provide art and assistance to Timber Ridge School – a residency academy for special students in Winchester, Virginia. In 2003, a residence hall at the school was named Mort Künstler Hall in his honor.
In 2001, Mr. Künstler was named the official artist for the motion picture Gods and Generals, and in 2002 Greenwich Workshop Press published his newest book: Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Künstler. He also served as a consultant for the heralded Ron Maxwell motion picture, Gods and Generals, and his art publisher, American Spirit Publishing, released a series of historical Civil War limited edition prints of key historical events on which the motion picture was based.
Mr. Künstler has also been named as an Official Artist for the H.L. Hunley, and unveiled a new painting of the H.L. Hunley during ceremonies in Charleston, South Carolina on April 17-18, 2004. He was commissioned to design and furnish all the artwork for the Middletown, Ohio Veterans Memorial, which was unveiled on July 4, 2004.
Probably no other artist in our nation’s history has recorded so many events in American history and certainly no one has painted them with the extraordinary authenticity and drama as Mort Künstler. Mort Künstler is America’s artist.