Class Year
2019
Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
Spring 3-29-2017
Department 1
Civil War Institute
Abstract
This, of course, is no deity, but rather John Brown, a man who received many appellations both during and after his lifetime. Abolitionist. Murderer. Freedom fighter. Terrorist. And this picture is known as Tragic Prelude, painted by the American regionalist artist John Steuart Curry. A native of Kansas, Curry received a commission from Governor Walter Huxman in the late 1930s to paint a series of murals depicting the state’s history for the Kansas State Capitol Building. Other scenes in the mural cycle included depictions of the explorer Francisco Coronado and Padre Padilla, but the most recent scene, as well as the largest, portrayed John Brown.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Bilger, Ryan, "The Legacy of “Old Osawatomie”: John Brown in Art and Memory" (2017). The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History. 244.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/compiler/244
Comments
This blog post originally appeared in The Gettysburg Compiler and was created by students at Gettysburg College.