LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 June Civil War Grand Format Auction #663  / 

72072

'Custer Leading the Wolverines at Gettysburg' -

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:80,000.00 - 120,000.00 USD
'Custer Leading the Wolverines at Gettysburg' -
<B><I>Gen'l Custer Leading the Wolverines</B></I></B></I> <B>at Gettysburg- A Painting by Franklin Dullin Briscoe, 1889.</B></I> July 3, 1863 - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the turning point of the Civil War. Newly minted Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer is leading his Michigan Wolverine Brigade of cavalry against Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart at the same time General George Pickett is making his fateful charge at Cemetery Ridge. Custer's dashing figure in battle is showcased in this oil on canvas masterwork of artist Franklin Dullin Briscoe. Dated 1889 and signed 'F. D. Briscoe', this 36" x 22" masterpiece depicts the exact moment at which General Custer orders his momentous charge that drove JEB Stuart's cavalry, led by Genera Wadel Hampton, into the forests at Gettysburg. Hampton himself would suffer saber blows to the head as he tried to regroup his men and repulse Custer's assault.<BR><BR>With Custer as the centerpiece of the picture, at the forefront with his long golden hair flowing and saber drawn, the battlefield smoke and confusion are broken only by the bright colors of the Union and Confederate flags that break through the maelstrom of battle. War horses are depicted dying as are the men of both sides - but Custer is clearly the focus here. A Brigadier for only two weeks prior to Gettysburg, George Armstrong Custer was eager to prove he was worthy of command. Racing in front of his troops to lead the charge, one contemporary account notes of Custer's cavalry charge, "the two columns (one led by Custer and one by Hampton) had come together with a crash…" Custer's fame would only grow throughout the war and thereafter.<BR><BR>Franklin Dullin Briscoe (1844-1903) was known for his battlefield scenes of Gettysburg including a historical mural over 230 feet long in ten panels that toured the United States after the war. Handwritten on the verso of this canvas are the words 'Gettysburg, July 3rd, 1863 - Gen'l Custer leading the Wolverines - F. D. Briscoe 1889'. Briscoe's paintings are rare with most examples being held in museum collections. This oil on canvas depicting General Custer at Gettysburg has only recently come onto the market from a private collection in Philadelphia and has never been offered before. Its original stretcher is labeled 'McClees Galleries, 1897 Walnut, Philadelphia, Est. 1845'. This is a singular opportunity to own a magnificent work of a major Civil War artist depicting General Custer leading his cavalry charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, less than a mile from our auction today!<BR><BR><B>Provenance:</B></I> <I>The Tharpe Collection of American Military History</B></I><BR><BR><B>Exhibited:</B></I> <I>The Liberty Heritage Society Museum</B></I><BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Requires 3rd Party Shipping (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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